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Although air travel in the 21st Century is fast, safe and convenient for business and pleasure trips, many people dislike flying because they feel ill after a flight, not as a result of the motion or jet lag but because of aerotoxic syndrome, the little-known name for a group of respiratory problems which affect some travellers and flight crew.
In September 2010, a landmark ruling in the Australian High Court in favour of a flight attendant who became ill after smoke entered the cabin of the aircraft where she was working, brought the issue to the headlines and led to campaigners hoping for new recognition of their problems.
For more than a decade in the UK, a group of former pilots and cabin crew had been fighting for their illnesses to be regarded as a consequence of their employment and, therefore, eligible for compensation for the personal injury caused through no fault of their own.
The Aerotoxic Association claims that breathing in toxic air contaminated with engine fumes can cause serious health problems, leading to injury to airline passengers and the potential for an industrial illness claim by staff whose health was not protected by their employers; causing them to suffer and, in many cases, be unable to continue their careers.
Scientists who have researched the problem say it is possible for toxins to enter the passenger cabin, and flight deck, if there is a leak in the engine oil or hydraulic fuel seals which can allow fumes through into the air circulated for everyone to breathe.
The so-called 'bleed air' system has been in use on the vast majority of aircraft since the 1960s and involves air being drawn out of the compression section of the engine, cooled and then pumped into the cabin where it is mixed with re-circulated air which has been filtered to remove bacteria and viruses but this method cannot remove toxins.
Some researchers have said this ingestion of toxins may be causing hundreds of thousands of cases of illness in susceptible people who could suffer from a passenger injury relating to breathing problems or, as has been noted in a few instances, brain damage, especially in those regularly exposed to cabin fumes such as pilots or attendants.
A report on a near-miss accident involving a Swedish aircraft revealed that the pilot, co-pilot and many passengers came close to lapsing into unconsciousness, believed to be due to fumes which entered the cabin from the air circulation system, and the pilot only just managed to keep control, avoid a plane crash and land safely.
Some aircraft are thought to be more at risk of failures in their air systems than others but, at present, no manufacturer or airline has acknowledged there is a major problem with fuel oil polluting the inside of planes. The new Boeing Dreamliner 787 is the first passenger jet to use air from a source other than the engine.
Aerotoxic syndrome and YouClaim's lawyers
The flight attendant who won compensation for her personal injury and suffering resulting from aerotoxic syndrome said that her motivation for bringing the action was to help fellow airline workers and to make the industry safer for them and passengers.
If you are an employee or passenger of an airline and become ill as a result, it may be possible for an industrial illness or work-related claim for injury to be brought against the employer or, in the case of a passenger, the flight operator, to compensate for pain, suffering or loss of income which has come about through the actions or failures of the business.
YouClaim has a panel of personal injury lawyers working throughout the UK who are respected professionals, experienced and sympathetic in dealing with all types of personal and industrial injury.
They are governed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, giving you reassurance about their high standards of service, and operate under the no win no fee system, meaning you keep every penny of any damages awarded to you.
To find out more about YouClaim's services to help people who have suffered from aerotoxic syndrome or to obtain free advice, you can contact us by email or telephone 0800 10 757 95 now and speak to one of our friendly legal advisers.
