What Exactly Are You Breathing During Your Flight?
A potential scandal has materialised in the form of the air which is filling the aircrafts in which we travel. A number of unconfirmed sources have approached the UK regulator over the quality of air pumped around aircraft as they fly passengers to and from the UK. As the story was breaking, a number of cabin crews came forward with claims that there have been a number of instances of ‘unclean air’ onboard some flights. While it is the Boeing 757, Airbus 319 and BAe 146 which have been mentioned as the main culprits, these are by no means the only aircrafts involved. So what is happening?
The UK Department for Transport has become involved, announcing plans to implement a thorough review of inflight air quality. While the main complaints seem to revolve around the cabin crew and the potential effect on their ability to fly the aircraft, the DfT will also look into the general situation. They are set to initiate a number of exercises to measure the quality of inflight air on five unnamed airlines. The results of the review will be released but the names of the airlines which took part will remain confidential.
This is the first time that there has been official involvement in the issue of cabin air. If any basis is found for the complaints, the airlines will be forced to undergo lengthy and expensive modifications to their aircraft at a time when money is tight. Quite what will happen in the future is unclear but it seems that we are in for another period of uncertainty in an industry which is already suffering.