Jet passengers ‘face peril of toxic fumes’

BILLIONS of aircraft passengers risk being made ill by on-board oil fumes, it was claimed yesterday.

Pilots are also left incapacitated or suffering fatigue, breathing problems, and stomach and heart trouble.

Sometimes both pilots flight have been affected.

Researchers are calling for “aerotoxic syndrome” to be recognised as an occupational disorder.

They include a respiratory physician, a pathologist and a pilot who has a PhD on the subject.

Their analysis focused on “bleed air” – the system in use on most planes by which unfiltered air from on a engine compressors is used to supply the ventilation system in the cabin and cockpit.

In a survey, 142 out of 274 British pilots reported specific symptoms and diagnoses, with 30 suffering “adverse health effects”.

Thirty-six of the pilots later died or suffered chronic ill health, making them permanently unfit to fly.

A second report on 15 potential incidents said: “In all, 53 per cent of events included long-term adverse effects for one or more crew members.” In a third of cases both pilots were affected. Passengers were affected in 27 per cent of cases.

The researchers said that in 2015, 3.5 billion passengers and around 500,000 crew were exposed to cabin air.

Pilots’ union Balpa said it had called for more research.

The Department for Transport said four independent studies found no conclusive evidence of a link. It said aircraft air quality was “similar or better than” normal indoor environments.

Both reports by the same researchers were published in the journal Public Health Panorama.