Cabin crews’ ‘toxic fumes’ case bolstered by US ruling

A “GROUNDBREAKING” US court ruling recognising that a pilot was made chronically ill from inhaling toxic fumes while flying has given hope to UK cabin crews due to take a similar case to the high court.

A judge in Oregon last month granted compensation to Captain Andrew Myers, who flew with the US airline Jetblue for 15 years, after being convinced his health problems were linked to “acute toxic inhalation”.

It comes as UK pilots are fighting for the recognition of “aerotoxic syndrome”, which they claim is caused by fumes bleeding into planes’ ventilation systems from the engine and damaging the health of crew and passengers over time.

The union Unite is funding 10 lead cases due in the High Court next year to prove that toxic cabin fumes have affected crew, pilots and passengers.

The UK airlines industry rejects the claims, arguing that no “substantial research” has proven a link between cabin fumes and health problems.

Following the US ruling, the chairman of the Aerotoxic Association, John

Hoyte, a former pilot and flying instructor who quit flying in 2005 due to a chronic condition that affected his sight and speech, said the US case was the first time aerotoxicity had been legally recognised.

He told The Daily Telegraph: “It is a very real thing and it is just a matter of time before it comes out. This court

‘It is a very real thing and it is just a matter of time before it comes out. This case is a great step forward’

case is a great step forward.” In the case, Mr Myers said an “acute toxic inhalation” event in 2017 had left him with a neurological disorder affecting his cognitive functions.

The State of Oregon Workers’ Compensation Board ruled the condition was a result of exposure to toxic fumes while flying and that Mr Myers was entitled to compensation.

Glen Lasken, Mr Myers’s laywer, described the ruling as “ground-breaking” and “a big victory for airline staff and passengers.”