There is plenty for passengers to worry about when it comes to air travel. In fact, before you even get to the airport, you have to be concerned about finding parking and whether you’ll get stuck in traffic and miss your flight.
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At the airport, long TSA security lines are usually a prime source of worry, along with whether there will be seats at the gate, and especially ones near chargers.
Then, on the plane, you have to hope you get good seatmates, that no one asks you to change seats, that your neighbor in the front won’t recline too much, and that your neighbor in the rear won’t start kicking your seat.
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While you may be focused on all of these issues, along with other common fears like the possibility of missed connections or diverted flights due to weird passenger behavior, there’s now another big issue that you might be overlooking.
A new $30 million lawsuit filed by a United Airlines flight attendant has brought that concern to the forefront and should be a wake-up call to passengers to make sure they understand what’s happening on board their flights.
Are passengers on this plane having a safe in-flight experience?
Image source: Shutterstock
While United Airlines is being sued, this is an industry-wide concern
The lawsuit, which was filed in a Virginia federal court against United Airlines, raises a serious issue that could affect not just United Airlines, but any aircraft carrier. That’s because the lawsuit relates to air-quality issues on airplanes.
According to the allegations raised in the lawsuit, the flight attendant was on a United Airlines flight traveling from LaGuardia Airport in New York to Denver International Airport. While the aircraft was parked at the gate, the auxiliary power unit was activated to power the A/C and electrical systems, and almost immediately, a strong chemical smell filled the cabin.
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The flight attendant allegedly developed rapid and severe issues, including intense nausea and choking sensations not relieved by hot water. She now reports lingering damage to her throat lining consistent with chemical burns, and suffers from persistent hypertension and neurological symptoms, among other issues. She’s seeking $30 million in compensation.
Airbus and United have yet to comment on the claims, but advocates are urging lawmakers to treat the lawsuit as a wake-up call to encourage better measures to protect air quality on planes.
Air quality in flight should be a top concern for all flyers
While the flight attendant’s lawsuit is a drastic example of an air-quality issue, fume events or odor incidents have been reported for years by passengers and staff alike when chemicals used in aircraft operations enter the cabin’s air systems.
The FAA does have some requirements in place to try to protect passengers from harmful and hazardous substances while they are en route, including a requirement that planes must be designed to provide 0.55 pounds of fresh air per minute per occupant.
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However, the agency acknowledges that “in rare instances, mechanical issues such as failures of an engine oil seal or recirculation fan bearings can cause fumes to enter the cabin.”
The FAA says airlines must report these incidents but doesn’t have a specific definition for a “fume event,” and advocates say much more could be done.
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The flight attendant’s lawsuit, for example, demands better filtration, the installation of real-time chemical detection systems, and better training for crew members to help them recognize and respond to contamination events.
It remains to be seen whether the flight attendant prevails or if any steps are taken to protect cabin air quality.
Regardless, the court case does bring this issue to the forefront. Those who are concerned about their exposure to contaminants in flight may wish to ask their airline about protections in place to ensure clean air while traveling.
