The Unite union, which represents cabin crew at several major UK-based airlines including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, as well as easyJet and Norwegian, is readying a landmark “toxic cabin air” legal case which is set to be heard in London’s High Court next year. The union says it is now pursuing 200 cases covering eight different airlines from its members who claim to have suffered health problems from being exposed to contaminated cabin air.
“Airline staff are having their health damaged by being exposed to fume events and many have been forced out of the industry as a result,” explained the union’s general secretary of legal services Howard Beckett.
“These injuries can result in life-changing neurological symptoms with immunity systems irreparably damaged. In extreme cases, these poisonous toxins have been found in staff post mortem,” he continued.
Beckett was talking after an exposé on “toxic fume events” was aired by BBC. The programme covered the case of Matthew Bass, a member of British Airways cabin crew who died suddenly in 2014. His parents believe their son died as a result of being exposed to contaminated cabin air.
Charlie and Fiona Bass paid £7,000 for a second autopsy and other tests which found organophosphates in his body. Organophosphates are commonly found in turbine engine oil – campaigners say exposure to these substances can cause severe longterm health problems.
British Airways has strenuously denied Matt’s death was linked to exposure to “toxic” cabin air.
The airline, along with a number of other carriers, as well as aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus declined to take part in interviews with the BBC on the subject.
“The airlines have got to stop buck-passing and take immediate measures to stop toxic air flooding into cabins and cockpits,” Beckett said of the likes of British Airways – which has had several notable reports of so-called fume events in the last few months.
In one case in January, a suspected fume event is believed to have rendered the pilot of a British Airways operated Airbus A320 aircraft incapacitated during the final approach to landing. The Captain was forced to don his oxygen mask, declare an emergency and land the plane on his own.
British Airways denied the First Officer lost consciousness during the incident.
The Unite union is demanding airlines install special air filters which would prevent contaminated air incidents. British Airways has previously said fume events can have a number of causes including food burning in onboard ovens, the smell of deicing fluid and smelly waste bins.
