Directly measured cabin pressure conditions during Boeing 747–400 commercial aircraft flights

Background and objectives:  In the low pressure environment of commercial aircraft, hypoxaemia may be common and accentuated in patients with lung or heart disease. Regulations specify a cabin pressure not lower than 750 hPa but it is not known whether this standard is met. This knowledge is important in determining the hazards of commercial flight for patients and the validity of current flight simulation tests.

Methods:  Using a wrist-watch recording altimeter, cabin pressure was recorded at 60 s intervals on 45 flights in Boeing 747–400 aircraft with three airlines. A log was kept of aircraft altitude using the in-flight display. Change in cabin pressure during flight, relationship between aircraft altitude and cabin pressure and proportion of flight time with cabin pressure approaching the minimum specified by regulation were determined.

Results:  Flight duration averaged 10 h. Average cabin pressure during flight was 846 hPa. There was a linear fall in cabin pressure as the aircraft cruising altitude increased. At 10 300 m (34 000 ft) cabin pressure was 843 hPa and changed 8 hPa for every 300 m (1000 ft) change in aircraft altitude (r² = 0.993; P < 0.001). Lowest cabin pressure was 792 hPa at 12 200 m (40 000 ft) but during only 2% of flight time was cabin pressure less than 800 hPa.

Conclusions  Cabin pressure is determined only by the engineering of the aircraft and its altitude and in the present study was always higher than required by regulation. Current fitness-to-fly evaluations simulate cabin conditions that passengers will not experience on these aircraft. There may be increased risks to patients should new or older aircraft operate nearer to the present minimum standard.