Flying with an ear infection
An ear infection stops the middle ear equalising pressure — which is exactly what it has to do twice on every flight.
The short answer. You can, but it may hurt, and it is better to wait if you can. An infected or congested middle ear cannot equalise pressure properly, so the pressure changes on climb and especially descent cause pain and, occasionally, a perforated eardrum. There is no fixed waiting period — the test is whether the ear can clear.
Aircraft cabins are pressurised, but not to sea level. At cruising altitude the cabin sits at roughly the equivalent of 6,000 to 8,000 feet. Two things follow from that, and between them they explain almost every medical restriction airlines impose.
First, there is less oxygen available. A healthy passenger’s blood oxygen saturation typically drops a few percent — unnoticeable if your heart and lungs are working normally, much less so if they are not. Second, trapped gas expands by around a third. Any pocket of air sealed inside the body — in the middle ear, the sinuses, the bowel, the chest, under a plaster cast — gets bigger as the aircraft climbs, and shrinks again on descent.
The middle ear is one of those sealed pockets. Normally the Eustachian tube — a narrow passage connecting the middle ear to the back of the nose — opens as you swallow or yawn and lets pressure equalise. That is the click you feel on take-off.
An infection swells the lining of that tube and fills the middle ear with fluid. The tube stops opening properly, pressure cannot equalise, and the eardrum is pushed inwards on descent. That is why the pain is almost always worse coming down than going up, and why it can be severe enough to reduce an adult to tears and a child to inconsolable screaming.
Is there a risk of real damage?
Occasionally, yes. Sustained pressure difference across an inflamed eardrum can cause it to perforate. It usually heals, but it is painful and it can affect hearing in the short term. That is the reason to postpone if postponing is genuinely possible.
If you have to fly anyway
- Speak to a pharmacist or GP before you go — a decongestant or steroid nasal spray started a day or two beforehand may help the tube open
- Stay awake for the descent. You swallow far less when asleep, which is when ears block
- Swallow, yawn, chew or sip steadily as the aircraft descends
- For babies and small children, feed or offer a bottle or dummy during descent
- Try the Valsalva manoeuvre gently — pinch your nose, close your mouth and blow softly. Gently. Forcing it can do more harm than the flight
When not to fly
Get medical advice before flying if you have severe ear pain, discharge from the ear, sudden hearing loss, dizziness or vertigo, or a high fever. Do not fly at all with a suspected perforated eardrum or within the recovery period after middle ear surgery without clearing it with the surgeon first — see flying with a perforated eardrum.
Common questions
Can you fly with an ear infection?
There is no rule preventing it, and airlines do not usually ask. Whether you should is a different question: an infected ear cannot equalise pressure properly, so expect pain on descent and accept a small risk of perforating the eardrum.
How long should I wait after an ear infection?
Until the ear can clear — which usually means the pain and blockage have settled, not merely that you have finished antibiotics. For most simple infections that is a week or two. There is no fixed CAA figure; it is a clinical judgement.
Can my child fly with an ear infection?
Children get more ear infections and shorter, more horizontal Eustachian tubes make equalising harder, so they suffer more. If the trip can move, move it. If it cannot, feed or offer a drink throughout the descent and speak to a GP or pharmacist about pain relief and decongestants beforehand.
What about fluid in the ear without infection?
Glue ear and post-viral fluid cause the same equalising problem without the infection. The same advice applies: it will probably be uncomfortable on descent, and it is worth having pain relief to hand.
Will travel insurance cover me if I cancel?
A new, unforeseen ear infection that a doctor advises against flying with is usually a valid cancellation reason — but you will need that advice documented. A not fit to fly certificate is what insurers ask for.
Related
Sources. The airline and clinical facts on this page were checked against these primary sources on 24 August 2026. Airline policies change without notice — always confirm with your airline before you book or travel.
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