For medical reasons, I have to give myself injections every so many hours, and I am wondering if I can take a syringe and needles into the cabin of a plane, as I am planning to take my first long haul holiday? Rosemary McDonald, Fife

Sunday Times travel expert Richard Green responds:

Yes, taking a needle and syringe into an aircraft cabin isn't a problem, despite the new security regulations that are in place.

The most common condition where people have to do this is of course Diabetes. But for any condition requiring you to inject medication yourself, you'll need to get a letter from your doctor explaining that you need to carry syringes to inject insulin, which you should give to the airline staff when you check in.

You might find that your Doctor has to make a charge for the letter, so if you think this might be the first of many such trips, see if you can¹t get the letter phrased in such a way that it can be used more than once.

Some airlines might ask that they stow the medication and syringes for you during the flight, so you should pack them in a small bag just in case. It can't do any harm to contact their airline in advance so that they can put a note on your booking to let the check-in and other airport staff know that you are travelling with such equipment.

If your injection has to take place after food, most airlines serves their meals within about two hours of take off, and on long flights, again about two hours before landing, and for diabetics, note that British Airways, and other large airlines, can provide you with a Diabetic meal on all their long haul flights, providing it is ordered in advance of travel.

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