Some 51 pilots and cabin crew in the UK have initiated legal action against five airlines over claims they have been poisoned by toxic cabin air, a union has said.
Union Unite said it had independent expert evidence that the air in most commercial airline cabins can cause irreversible neurological damage and chronic illness among susceptible individuals.
The expert evidence will be presented in 51 court cases involving staff working for EasyJet, British Airways, Thomas Cook, Virgin Atlantic and Jet2.
Oxygen is taken into the cabin through the engine system in most aircraft except the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. This contains a mix of toxic compounds including organophosphates and TCP, Unite claims. It says it will reveal the evidence in court and called on the airline industry to take urgent action.
Unions and staff have campaigned for years about “fume events”, which they say can cause chronic ill health, known as “aerotoxic syndrome”. Frequent flying passengers can also be affected, campaigners say.
Unite wants an inquiry into cabin air and for aircraft to use non-toxic oil to lubricate jet engines and to apply filters in cabins.
Howard Beckett, Unite assistant general secretary for legal services, said: “Independent expert evidence concludes that air on board jet planes can contain a toxic mix of chemicals and compounds that potentially damage the nervous system and may lead to chronic irreversible health problems in susceptible individuals.
“The airline industry cannot continue to hide from the issue of toxic cabin air whilst placing the health and safety of air crew at risk.”
Easyjet said that it “operates one of the world’s most modern fleets and our aircraft are fully compliant with the latest standards in terms of air quality and air-conditioning.”
“EasyJet takes any health concerns raised by its crew seriously however aviation regulators and manufacturers around the world have looked at this issue and found no proof that long term health issues arise from cabin air quality,” it added.
“On occasion so-called fume events can occur. Research has shown that in some instances this can cause some minor acute symptoms, but no link with long term health effects has been proved.”
The other four airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
