01.02.2006
Copenhagen Airport best at passenger well-being

Champagne before and chocolate after your flight: that’s what Farrol Kahn recommends. It sounds almost too good to be true, but the expert from the Aviation Health Institute knows what people need in order to have a pleasant journey and how important it is that airports consider how they can enhance passenger well-being.

What happens to your body when you travel by air? Perhaps you have noticed that your skin feels dry and your feet and stomach swell up.   But that can be helped, and one of the best at giving advice on how to overcome these problems is Farrol Kahn, CEO of the Aviation Health Institute, the first institute in the world to conduct research into airline passengers’ well-being while travelling.   “If you have ever tried mountain climbing, you know what happens when you are at high altitudes. The air is thinner and seems drier, and up to 50% of the air in an aircraft cabin is recycled. Your internal organs expand, so your stomach grows larger by about a third,”

says Kahn, who has done research in the field of health and flying for almost ten years.

“A long flight may feel like a marathon to your body. Flying is not natural for your body. Otherwise, we would have been born with wings,” Kahn adds with a smile.

His interest in flying and health came about because he travelled more than most people in his previous job.

“I often wondered why I was so incredibly tired, even after relatively short flights. I was curious to know more about how jetlag affects the body, so I began studying the phenomenon and found out that it was a field not many people knew much about,” Kahn comments.

Preparations for “the good flight”

The Aviation Health Institute at Oxford came into being in the wake of Kahn’s curiosity: it is operated as a non-commercial enterprise financed by government subsidies, foundation grants and private donations.

“Flying is part of my job. I love flying, so I would certainly not want to be without it. But I take my precautions because I fly as much as I do. You can easily get the best possible experience out of flying if you prepare for your flight. I always bring my travel kit. Also, eating and drinking the right things during and after your trip makes a big difference. Although it sounds too good to be true, I recommend drinking a glass of champagne before departure and eating chocolate when you land. Chocolate gives you instant energy, and the champagne makes you relax,” says Kahn.

Airport infrastructure, signage and information screens also influence passenger well-being during a trip.

“Most passengers are excited, look forward to their trip and may be a little stressed, so it is very important that airports do what they can to help passengers relax and have a good experience right from the start of their trip. Copenhagen Airport is among the best in the world in terms of thinking about passenger well-being. Many airports only think about the commercial aspects, but Copenhagen Airport has a very scientific way of approaching passenger satisfaction. By measuring its own and its partners’ performance in various areas – for instance baggage delivery times and queuing at security checkpoints – the airport helps lower passenger stress levels,” comments Kahn.