In-Flight Environment

Allergy precautions

Please make sure to check the peanut and animal allergy precautions before boarding your flight.

Check precautions

What you need to know when boarding your flight

What you need to know when boarding your flight

Cabin temperature

• The cabin temperature is maintained between 22 °C and 24 °C. However, due to low humidity, it may feel cooler than on the ground. The temperature near the windows or exit row seats tends to be relatively lower.

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• We recommend wearing lightweight tops and bottoms and layering up if you are sensitive to the cold.

Cabin humidity

• The cabin is dry, with humidity ranging from 10 to 20%. Low humidity can dry out your skin, eyes, and nose, causing discomfort.

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• Keep yourself hydrated with frequent sips of water, juice, or other beverages.
• Drinking a lot of alcohol, coffee or tea can make you dehydrated.
• Passengers who wear contact lenses are recommended to wear glasses if possible to prevent eye dryness or inflammation.
• We recommend using moisturizers and water sprays to keep your skin hydrated.

Cabin atmospheric pressure

• The aircraft cabin is pressurized to maintain an atmospheric pressure equivalent to an altitude of approximately 6,000 – 8,000 feet, a level that does not have a significant impact on most healthy individuals.

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• You may experience ear congestion due to changes in air pressure during takeoff and landing. Yawning lightly or drinking water can help relieve the symptoms.
• Closing your mouth, pinching your nose, and gently blowing is also effective for regulating ear pressure.
• For young children, it is recommended to give them food or drinks, or have them use a baby bottle.

Cabin noise

• The noise level in an aircraft cabin is typically around 65 – 85 dB and is gradually being reduced through improvements in soundproofing and seat design.
• In most cases, the noise level is not enough to cause significant discomfort, but it may be more noticeable during takeoff and landing or in seats near the engines.

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• Ask the cabin crew for earplugs if needed.

• In general, you are exposed to around 0.004 to 0.005 millisieverts of cosmic radiation per hour on long-haul flights and about 0.001 to 0.003 millisieverts per hour on short-haul flights.
• Given that the amount of radiation absorbed by the human body during an X-ray is approximately 0.02 to 0.04 millisieverts, it’s safe to say that the amount of exposure to cosmic radiation during air travel and the effect of this exposure on the human body are minimal.
  
  Air travel and cosmic radiation

• You may bring your own food on board, but consumption may be restricted if it requires hot water for preparation or has a strong odor.
• Other than alcoholic beverages served by the cabin crew, you may not consume your own alcoholic beverages on board.
• Refrigeration is not available on board for personal food or medication. However, pen-type insulin for passengers with diabetes can be stored in a refrigerator or with ice, as there is no risk of damage during storage.

Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is prohibited on board!

• Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is strictly prohibited on board to ensure the safe operation of our aircraft. In addition, illegal activities on the aircraft is punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years or a fine of up to KRW 100 million under applicable law.

  • Assaulting, threatening, or disrupting cabin crew

  • Sexual harassment including sexual humiliation

  • Smoking (including the use of e-cigarettes and other similar devices)

  • Disturbances, such as verbal abuse

  • Behaviors, under the influence of alcohol, that cause harm to others

  • Manipulation of equipment in the aircraft, such as the cockpit door or emergency exit

On an airplane, you’ll be traveling in an environment where you share a space with many other passengers. By following basic etiquette, we can all make our travels more enjoyable and comfortable.

• You’re free to recline your seat back except during takeoff, landing, and meal times. However, the seat should be reclined with care, as it can hit the rear seat passenger if reclined abruptly.

• Due to the difference in air pressure from the ground, you may become intoxicated faster than usual when drinking on an airplane.
• The cabin crew regulates the alcoholic beverage service according to each passenger’s condition.

• Please be considerate of other passengers’ space by not leaning into the seat next to you and not putting your feet on the armrest in front of you, and by using armrests while keeping the middle seat passenger in mind and storing your things under the seat in front of you.

Excessive noise disturbs good rest

• For the comfort of all passengers, we ask that you refrain from talking loudly or playing music or videos over the speakers.

• Eating smelly food, brushing teeth in places other than the lavatory, or removing socks on board can make people uncomfortable.

• During the rest period, when many passengers are sleeping, please be considerate of your neighbors when opening and closing window shades.

• Portable electronic devices (e.g., smartphones, tablet PCs, MP3 players, and game consoles) can be used at any time on board when set to airplane mode. However, voice call and text messaging functions may only be used after the aircraft has landed and cleared the runway onto the taxiway. The use of electronic devices may be restricted at the request of the cabin crew.

In-flight environment

Cosmic radiation exposure

Food, beverages, and medicine on board

No smoking or illegal activities on board

In-flight etiquette

Allergy precautions

Peanut allergy precautions

• We cannot prevent other passengers from bringing peanut products on board, and it’s also possible that residual peanut ingredients from previous flights may remain in the aisles, seats, or cabin air, making it difficult to provide a completely peanut-free environment.

• Passengers with peanut allergies must notify our staff when booking their tickets and fill out a form at check-in.

• To ensure safe travel, please consult your doctor before traveling and bring your own medications (e.g., an EpiPen).

Animal allergy precautions

• If space permits, we try to seat passengers traveling with pets as far away from other passengers as possible. However, depending on seating availability, this may be difficult.
  

• When booking your ticket, please inform the staff of any animal allergies and fill out a form at check-in.

• To ensure safe travel, please consult your doctor before traveling and bring your own medications and first aid supplies if needed. You must be able to administer first aid prescribed by a doctor yourself, and your traveling companions should also be able to do so in case of an emergency.

Air travel and cosmic radiation

What is cosmic radiation?

• Cosmic radiation is one of the natural types of radiation that we encounter in our daily lives, and there are two types: radiation from supernova explosions from distant space and radiation from the sun.
  

• In normal times, radiation from the distant universe makes up the majority of cosmic radiation, and the sun’s radiation blocks this cosmic radiation from reaching Earth. Cosmic radiation entering the Earth is greatly weakened as it passes through the Earth’s magnetic field and the Earth's atmosphere, and only a small amount of radiation reaches us on the ground.

How much cosmic radiation is our body exposed to during air travel?

• During air travel, the amount of cosmic radiation you’re exposed to during your flight can vary depending on the latitude and altitude, the length of your flight, and the level of solar radiation from solar activity at the time of your flight.
• The Earth’s magnetic shield is weakest in the Arctic and Antarctic regions and becomes stronger toward the equator. Therefore, as you fly over higher latitudes, you are exposed to more cosmic radiation due to a weaker magnetic shield. Higher altitudes also reduce the effectiveness of the atmosphere in shielding cosmic radiation, increasing your exposure to cosmic radiation.
• In general, it’s known that you are exposed to around 0.004 to 0.005 millisieverts per hour of cosmic radiation on long-haul flights and about 0.001 to 0.003 millisieverts per hour on short-haul flights.
• The radiation exposure from a single X-ray, commonly taken when we have regular health checks, is about 0.02 to 0.04 millisieverts, which is similar to the radiation exposure during about 10 to 20 round trips between Seoul and Jeju. (For long-haul flights of 10 hours or more, such as to/from the United States and Europe, the radiation exposure is comparable to that of one or two X-rays.)

Millisievert (mSv): Unit of the effective dose of radiation to the human body

How does cosmic radiation affect one’s health during air travel?

• Research by the U.S. FAA and academics has shown that the amount of cosmic radiation the average passenger is exposed to during air travel has very minimal health effects and therefore is not a cause for concern.

• The total annual amount of radiation the average person is exposed to through their daily lives was found to be about 0.95 millisieverts for Americans, of which cosmic radiation accounted for about 9% (0.27 millisieverts) of the total. This amount of radiation is considered a basic level for the general population.

What else do I need to know about cosmic radiation during air travel?

• The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommends that the average person’s radiation exposure should not exceed 1 millisievert per year, in addition to the radiation they are exposed to in their daily lives. This is equivalent to the amount of cosmic radiation you’d be exposed to in 200 to 250 hours of flight time on a long-haul trip.

• Passengers who travel frequently on long-haul flights for business may be exposed to more cosmic radiation than regular travelers, so it may be helpful to keep track of your journeys and air travel time over the course of each year.

• Even for pregnant people, the international standard for protecting an unborn child from radiation is 1 millisievert or less, in addition to the radiation you’re exposed to in your daily life until you give birth. This equates to about 200 to 250 hours of flight time on long-haul trips and does not limit air travel during pregnancy unless you are a particularly frequent long-haul air traveler.