Aiber developed for in-flight emergencies.

When a passenger requires on-flight care, the cabin crew must support them, however, first-aid training can be forgotten. Furthermore, only some airlines can request for on-the-ground clinical assistance, which can be challenging when the telephone is vulnerable to problems such as noise disturbance. To help counter this, Aberdeen University spinout MIME Technologies have developed ‘Aiber’ to assist pilots, cabin crews and on-the-ground clinics.

Aiber, which supports a variety of scenarios, including allergic reactions, potential heart attacks and burns, has been designed to live stream passenger data from the ground up to the cabin crew, in real-time, facilitating digital communication between all parties. In addition, portable, heart monitoring devices can be integrated into the system, designed for non-medical specialists like cabin crews.

Mime Technologies’ CEO and Co-founder, Anne Roberts, stated: “An in-flight medical event, even of a minor nature can be hugely stressful for cabin crew. Our affordable technology guides them through their first aid training, but crucially, it live streams medical event updates to the ground. This is hugely significant as it allows a more informed decision about how stable a passenger is and whether the flight should divert or continue. It allows cabin crew to stay by the passenger’s side throughout and using AI, it automatically stores and transmits essential information that can often be missed or only recorded after the event. For the first time, clinicians on the ground will be able to follow, in real-time, the deterioration or improvement of a passenger in the air using wireless technology and the tech provides a seamless handover to emergency services meeting the aircraft. We believe the technology will help avoid unnecessary diversions but, more significantly, it will help save lives by providing ‘eyes in the sky’ on flights globally.”

Curriculum head, Travel and Tourism at City of Glasgow College, Alan Cowan-Moore, stated: “During my time as cabin crew, I helped resuscitate a passenger who suffered a cardiac arrest. I was anxious about the care I was providing, wondering if my efforts were effective. Fortunately, I had the help of an off duty doctor, but many don’t. Aiber offers a technological solution to support cabin crew in such situations. The potential to reduce the need for diversions through effective identification of medical conditions is of enormous benefit for both customers and airlines. As an educator, I encourage our students to take a step back and see the bigger picture. Access to this type of expert help has the potential to reduce stressful situations but also result in lifesaving outcomes.”