HolidayTravelWatch has noted amongst the submissions to the Committee on Toxicity (COT), that it has been suggested, that symptoms highlighted by crew and passengers, were akin to the condition of ‘hyperventilation’.

HolidayTravelWatch has campaigned for many years on the issue of public safety, and considers that the issue of Aerotoxic Syndrome, is potentially one of the most serious public health safety issues to arise in recent years.

In promoting its campaign, HolidayTravelWatch wishes to make clear that this is not an attack on any industry or government. They must all surely recognise that in the battle between safety and the balance sheet, safety must always prevail. If industries believe that they are correct, then they must produce unequivocal evidence that proves their position. If they are unable to do so, both they and Government must err on the side of caution, and take steps to protect pilots, cabin crew and passengers without delay. After all, they and their families are also consumers in the so-called flight revolution!

View the news story on King5.com or view Welcome Aboard Toxic Airlines.

The debate that counters the view of the Aviation Industry, and Government, points to the substantial evidence, showing the decades old history of leaking oils into aircraft air supplies, as is demonstrated in the ‘Aviation Contaminated Air reference Manual’. This manual has also been identified as the leading source of information on this issue, by the Royal Australian Air Force.

Given our long history of campaigning, we have decided to adopt the theme of hyperventilation, as highlighted to COT, and employ the method used to treat such a condition, as our emblem for this campaign. HolidayTravelWatch therefore launches, through this online petition, its ‘Brown Bag Campaign’.

The image of the Brown Bag represents a solution to a health problem, or condition, whilst at the same time, the bio-hazard symbol on our ‘brown bag’ represents the hidden danger to pilots, cabin crew and passengers.

Many pilots, cabin-crew and passengers report smoke or fume events on board aircraft. These ‘fume events’ arise because the air supply used in most aircraft, is based on the ‘bleed air’ supply system. Simply, your air on board comes directly through the aircraft’s engine. Due to design characteristics of the way the bleed air system works, the combusted products from aviation oils, leaking through seals, can provide smells or mist within the flight deck or passenger cabin. Combusted products contain Organophosphates, and in particular Tri-Cresyl Phosphate. The effects on an individuals health can be extremely debilitating, and affect their health either permanently, or for many years.

However, while the debate rages on the effects of Organophosphates, and Inhalation of the mixture of substances in engine oils, is there anything that can be done to reduce the leakage into an aircraft? Yes! If between £15 to £20k was spent on each aircraft flying today, supplying filters to prevent such a leakage as the air comes from the engine, then crew and passenger health would be protected. Airlines will point out that this would cost them many millions of pounds. This is correct, however, how many passengers would object to paying a premium on the price of their air ticket if it meant that they could be confident that they would not be exposed to components of combusted products? The benefit to an airline could be that they could then guarantee a clean air supply to its employees and passengers; this would surely have a benefit on sales?

It is for these reasons that HolidayTravelWatch launches its Global Petition on this issue.

Tags: aerotoxic syndrome, carbon monoxide, Fume Event, holiday claims, holidaytravelwatch campaigns, sick aircraft syndrome, smoke event

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 19th, 2008 at 2:00 pm and is filed under Campaigns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.