Kiwis in airlines lawsuit

Eleven New Zealanders are among 1000 people who have joined in planned legal action against international airlines over the so-called "economy-class syndrome."

Melbourne law firm Slater and Gordon is acting on behalf of potential claimants in a case aimed at more than 20 airlines flying in and out of Australia, including Air New Zealand.

The condition, known as "deep vein thrombosis," results in potentially lethal blood clots forming through a person's lack of movement or dehydration.

Lawyer Natalie Snelling said Slater and Gordon was waiting on questionnaires sent to clients to decide whether to take a class action or press the claims individually.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) hit the headlines in October when a Welsh women died after a flight from Sydney to London.

Slater and Gordon partner Paul Henderson said airlines had had information about DVT for years and should have done more to warn passengers.

But medical opinion in Australia is divided over the link between long-haul flights and DVT.

Professor John Royle, a surgeon and former DVT sufferer, said the connection was "cut and dried."

But aerospace medicine specialist Eric Donaldson was not so certain, saying there were many people who did not get DVT after flying.

And there were many people who suffered from DVT even when they had not been in an aeroplane, he said.

Meanwhile, Air New Zealand has decided to do more to warn people about DVT. The airline will stamp tickets, timetables and itineraries with a notice advising passengers what they can do to lessen the risks of getting DVT, says spokesman Alastair Carthew.

The airline has already included new advice about blood clots in its in-flight video.

- NZPA