"Many Photos" - Pilots and cabin crew launch court battle to ban toxic air from flights

Pilots and cabin crew working for five major airlines including British Airways and easyJet today began a court battle to ban toxic air inside planes.

Unite union wants the airlines, also including Thomas Cook, Virgin Atlantic and Jet2, to take urgent action over fears of brain damage and long-term health risks.

Union bosses claim medical evidence shows lengthy exposure to cabin air or high dose 'fume events' can lead to chronic ill health and life threatening conditions.

They say it also shows fumes from jet engine bleed air used to pressurise airline cabins contains a mix of toxic compounds including organophosphates and TCP.

Now, legal action has been served in 51 cases against the five airlines urging them to use safer oil to lubricate jet engines and fit cabin air filters on board planes.

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 aircrew at risk. 

Cabin crew members work on an aircraft (file picture). Unite union wants five airlines to take urgent action over fears of brain damage and long-term health risks from cabin air exposure

'The evidence begs the question how many more must be put at risk before the airline industry cleans its act up?

'Unite will use every avenue, including calling for a public inquiry and pursuing legal action, to get the airline industry to take responsibility and clean up the cabin air on jet planes.

How cabin crew fear 'aerotoxic syndrome'

'Aerotoxic syndrome' is the term given to symptoms linked to the exposure to contaminated air in jet aircraft.

Many former pilots, co-pilots and cabin crew believe they have been subjected to long-term illnesses due to the amount of time they have spent exposed to cabin air and 'toxic fumes'.

Scientific studies have been carried out since the 1970s to try to determine whether contaminated cabin air is the cause of chronic health problems.

Symptoms of 'aerotoxic syndrome' are said to include fatigue, blurred or tunnel vision, loss of balance, seizures, memory impairment, headaches, tinnitus, confusion, nausea, diarrhoea, breathing difficulties and irritation of the eyes, nose and upper airways.

'This must include using different oils to lubricate jet engines, better monitoring of cabin air, installing air filters and manufacturing planes that bring compressed air straight from the atmosphere.

'It may result in additional financial cost to industry, but that cost bears no resemblance to the value of cabin crew health and safety.'

An easyJet spokesman told MailOnline: 'easyJet 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.

'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.'

British Airways, Thomas Cook, Virgin Atlantic and Jet2 have all been contacted for comment by MailOnline today.

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News Photo Pilots and cabin crew launch court battle to ban toxic air from flights
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