A dirty little secret of the airline industry has again popped up its toxic head after four Jetstar cabin crew members were taken to hospital in Cairns on Thursday, having become overcome with fumes on a Queensland flight.
That secret is poor air quality, which crew and passengers are often exposed to in airliners. This can include inhaling organophosphates, a highly toxic byproduct of heated engine oil that is present in small quantities in most aircraft cabins, and tricresyl phosphate (TCP), which is neurotoxic to humans ...
“Fume events” are underreported, with a spokesperson for the AFAP - Australian Federation of Air Pilots explaining that dangerous and potentially deadly fumes on aircraft, especially older planes, are a much bigger problem than anyone realises.
“The AFAP would like to see the Civil Aviation Safety Authority - CASA take this issue more seriously, including insisting that high-grade air filters be made mandatory for all commercial airliners flying in Australia, and that bleed air systems are redesigned in future aircraft. We should also see appropriate and accurate testing of fumes in aircraft cabins.”
Fume events are the result of the long-term design flaw that sees bleed air mixed into cabin air across most aircraft makers, including Boeing and Airbus ...
After a fume event on a Qantas National Jet Systems B717 last year, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) found that airborne contaminants “may result in the rapid onset of incapacitation, which although possibly subtle, can significantly affect the safety of flight”.
“Contaminants from bleed air may be being inhaled unknowingly. It’s in the interest of aircrews and passengers that operators take this issue seriously and look for ways of mitigation — but that means spending money.”
“The union is calling for aircraft to be refitted with total air filtration and stop using bleedair that is run over engines.”
Read full article: Crikey.com.au/2024/05/31/jetstar-toxic-fumes-airlines/