The year 2003 is the 100th anniversary of modern aviation. Remarkable achievements in engineering have made air travel highly accessible within the span of a single lifetime. Various penalties are exacted, however, when evolutionary barriers are exceeded. The most common include motion sickness, jetlag and increased arousal and stress at different stages of flight. Of course, air travel also brings us into closer contact with strangers and an understanding of the social psychology of behaviour within groups (among passengers) is relevant. This text examines a wide range of topics that should help the reader to acquire a psychological understanding of how air travel disrupts human relationships, behaviour as well as bodily functions. Contributors who are leading authorities in their area of expertise provide this information. It is intended primarily for those with an interest in passenger behaviour and those who work professionally in commercial aviation. This includes pilots, cabin crew, ground staff, airline and airport managers, aviation psychologists, human factors specialists, aerospace medical/nursing personnel, aircraft designers and manufacturers.
As air travel being an integral part of most people's lives, this book should be of interest to anyone who travels either on a frequent or infrequent basis.