Possible causes of ear aches on board The air pressure in
commercial aircraft can drop to a level corresponding to an
altitude of about 2,500 meters above sea level. That can
sometimes cause passengers to suffer ear aches. These occur
above all when the balance of pressure between the middle ear
and the ambient air pressure cannot function properly. Such
complaints can arise in particular if a passenger has a cold
with swelling of the nose and the passage between the back of
the throat and the middle ear (the so-called Eustachian tube).
Takeoff is less of a problem An aircraft's takeoff and climb to
cruising altitude is less of a problem because the cabin has a
subpressure. For a passenger with a cold, the overpressure that
arises in the middle ear can then even be balanced relatively
easily via the Eustachian tube. Landing can be painful if you
have a cold The landing presents problems more frequently,
because during an aircraft's descent the cabin air pressure
increases and the natural balance of pressure c