Sunday, July 09, 2006

Holiday jet fume risk to passengers

WESTMINSTER EDITOR (bdbrady@scotlandonsunday.com)

DOZENS of passenger airline pilots have been poisoned and left unable to carry on flying because of contaminated air leaking into cockpits and cabins.

Government-appointed researchers will this week disclose shocking new details of hundreds of incidents where pilots and cabin staff were allegedly poisoned by faulty air-systems during flights across Europe.

The government-backed Committee on Toxicity (COT) will this week hold a public hearing on the claims that hundreds of crew have been affected by fumes seeping into pressurised cabins mid-flight.

New figures obtained by Scotland on Sunday reveal ministers were warned of 10 serious incidents on flights on the short-hop BAe 146 model alone last year.

They included at least one in Edinburgh and three mid-air crises where the co-pilot was incapacitated by suspected contamination of the plane's air conditioning system. Several more involved cabin staff being forced to use oxygen masks after the flight-deck was filled with fumes.

// posted by Unknown @ 8:54 a.m.
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