- London Luton Airport has installed ten emergency anaphylaxis kits across its terminal.
- The kits contain full instructions and can be used in emergency scenarios.
- Around 2.5m people in England suffer from a known food allergy.
- Allergic reactions during flights are ten to 100 times less common than on the ground.
- Airlines have varying policies on nut allergies and passengers should check before flying.
London Luton Airport has installed ten emergency anaphylaxis kits across its terminal, designed to help passengers and staff who experience a life-threatening allergic reaction caused by food, medicine, insect stings or environmental factors. The kits have been installed in key areas across the airport, including in the security hall, departure lounge, immigration and baggage reclaim. Supplied by Kitt Medical, the Anaphylaxis Kitts also contain full instructions for their use, meaning they can be used in an emergency scenario similar to defibrillators.
Around 2.5m people in England suffer from a known food allergy, and figures show that between 1998 and 2018, 101,891 people were admitted to hospital for anaphylaxis. A survey by Imperial College London in 2024 found that 98% of food-allergic passengers and their caregivers reported increased anxiety when flying. The Imperial College London survey found that allergic reactions to foods are ten to 100 times less common during flights than on the ground, partly due to the precautions taken by both airlines and passengers.
Suffering an allergic reaction at an airport is one thing. But being stuck in an aircraft at 35,000 feet is an entirely different situation, and so it is unsurprising that allergy sufferers report increased anxiety when taking flights. To mitigate the risks airlines have a number of policies in place. However, these are not standardised across the industry, so customers should always check with individual carriers before flying. Passengers are advised to carry medication such as antihistamines or an Adrenaline Auto-Injector in their hand baggage, and England’s Civil Aviation Authority requires commercial aircraft medical kits to include adrenaline in ampoules that can be administered in emergencies.
.Zak Marks shared: As a young boy growing up with allergies , and still to this day as an adult, passing through an airport and flying can be one of the scariest things to do. Knowing that there are emergency adrenaline pens and trained staff as a result of our Anaphylaxis Kitt rollout across Luton Airport provides me , and I hope the millions of other allergy sufferers across England , with a great deal of comfort.
