Jim McAuslan was General Secretary of The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) from 2003 to 2016. This is his closing speech at the end of a two day International Contaminated Air Protection Conference in London - 20/21 April 2005. https://vimeo.com/11111751 Quotes from his speech regarding Contaminated Air Onboard Aircraft: ‘This is a safety issue’. ‘Why are we still here today discussing it and arguing it?’ ‘We have a message for those who work in aviation and that is that you’re NOT ALONE’. Whilst I fully agree with the first two statements, the third statement is incorrect. If you work in aviation you are VERY alone if you are exposed to contaminated air onboard commercial aircraft: ⁃ When you become ill after a Fume Event (or gradually over a period of time following many years or months of low level exposure from contaminated air) there is no support from your employer or your employer’s occupational health department. They still deny that contaminated air is an issue on their aircraft. They most certainly would never admit that it causes their employees or passengers harm. ⁃ YOU ARE ALONE. ⁃ When you go to A&E. No one there knows how to look after you or what tests to do, because they have not been informed. (The NHS Care Pathway created to help those who have been injured by toxic fumes onboard aircraft has still not been distributed to the front line staff at hospital A&E Departments despite being created in 2017). Most crew are sent home from hospital having had no tests at all and are told ‘you might have a sore throat for a few days’ (as an example of what happened to me), by hospital staff. (No disrespect is meant to our amazing NHS frontline staff - this is not their fault). ⁃ YOU ARE ALONE. ⁃ When you go to your GP to find out what is wrong with you, to find out why you have that awful headache, flu-like symptoms, extreme fatigue, nausea, tremors or twitches, lightheadedness, dizziness, palpitations, stomach issues, memory loss, word-finding difficulties, tingling in your hands and numbness in your feet. ⁃ YOU ARE ALONE. ⁃ When you had not previously heard of Contaminated Air in Aircraft Cockpits and Cabins and had always believed that your employer provided a safe working environment onboard the aircraft you fly or work on, and after researching & investigating the subject, you realise that they don’t. Apart from being devastated, angry and upset - ⁃ YOU ARE ALONE. ⁃ When you are advised to stop flying because if you don’t, your liver could eventually give out because it is struggling to process and eliminate the chemicals you have been exposed to - and adding more to what is already there would mean your health could deteriorate further or worse - ⁃ YOU ARE ALONE. ⁃ Despite constant detoxing, totally changing your whole lifestyle and doing everything possible to rid your body of the chemicals you have been exposed to, you still suffer with most of the symptoms years down the line. You also develop extreme reactions/sensitivities to certain chemicals and smells which cause much distress, headaches and vomiting. ⁃ YOU ARE ALONE. It’s 13 years since Jim McAuslan made this speech and yet nothing has changed. Where are BALPA now? Why haven’t they pushed harder for clean, safe air for their members? People are still getting sick and the numbers are increasing, there have also been many untimely deaths. The number of cancer cases for Pilots and Cabin Crew are incredibly high. There is a solution, there is the possibility right now of making contaminated air in aircraft a thing of the past. So why are Airlines, Regulators and Governments not interested in eliminating contamination in aircraft from a known design fault - the bleed air system - used on all commercial aircraft except the 787 Dreamliner?