Please watch the film from 2004 here:
https://youtu.be/wSCM6CeCm1A
(With thanks to Aerotoxic Team for keeping this film on their website:
https://www.aerotoxicteam.com/evidence.html
This post is dedicated to the memory of Captain Dave Hopkinson who was injured by contaminated air in the aircraft he worked on as a pilot and also to the memory of Professor Chris Winder - School of Safety Science University of New South Wales Sydney, who worked tirelessly to help expose the truth about this serious Health & Safety issue - both contributed in the making of this film.
A year after the AOPIS film was made, BALPA - The British Airlines Pilots Association organised a conference (April 2005) on the issue of Air Quality onboard aircraft - this is the complete document from the conference:
https://aerotoxicorg.weebly.com/uploads/6/0/3/8/6038702/aea_balpa-capc-london-april-20051.pdf
This is the closing speech of that 2005 conference by Jim McAuslan - The (then) General Secretary of BALPA:
https://vimeo.com/11111751
This is a link to the Aerotoxic Team website which offers comprehensive insight, evidence, studies and more:
https://www.aerotoxicteam.com/science.html
What changes have taken place since the BALPA conference of 2005? None.
What has BALPA done over the past 15 years to protect their members - the pilots?
The air onboard bleed-air aircraft continues to poison pilots, passengers & cabin crew/flight attendants. No modifications have been made to aircraft to stop the harmful chemicals from entering the air supply. There is still no monitoring onboard any commercial aircraft - not even a Carbon Monoxide detector! Why not?
On 25th February 2020 Mike Powell (Investigative Journalist & Broadcaster) brought a programme on the issue to BBC Radio 4’s ‘File On 4’ Programme. (The programme will be repeated today, 1st March at 5PM). The programme was thoroughly researched and gave the public an important insight into the problem.
This is what a British Airways BALPA Health & Safety Representative said to the membership online regarding the programme (quote):
Re: Fume Events - File on Four
Wed Feb 26, 2020 09.22
“Whilst I completely understand the feelings of frustration on the line regarding this issue, from a health and safety union rep perspective, this radio programme and website article does not help us in our work to reduce the number of fumes events particularly on the Airbus fleet.
We are trying to work collaboratively with the company, the component manufacturers and service facilities to get to the bottom of why these events occur. There seems to be no single issue, which makes sense in the context of a complex aircraft where the source could potentially be any number of things.
Hopefully not but an exposé of this nature will tend to put up barriers and make the company less inclined to be open at a time when that is exactly what we are asking them to be. Stating the obvious, these are their aircraft and they have all the data, we are asking for access to some of that data to satisfy ourselves (on your behalf) that all is being done to rectify this difficult issue. Additionally we are talking to other airlines, engineering facilities and unions to see how they are tackling the same issue on their aircraft. All of this work by the sharing of information not by scaring the company into action they might already be taking but then withholding for fear of negative publicity.
This media piece might be seen as a good thing on the line but from our point of view, as your representatives, it is unhelpful.
All the best,
XXXXX XXXXX
Health and Safety Rep
BALPA/BA/LHR”
(Quote)
Where has this H&S rep been for the past 15 years? Why does he not know the history of the contaminated air issue? Why does he think the airline will provide the information/data they have requested anyway?, they wouldn’t provide the engineering reports requested by BALPA as reported in 2019:
https://www.aerotoxicteam.com/balpa-may-2019.html
So why would they change their mind now?... Why would they help BALPA now when they have done the exact opposite in the past? To blame the continued reluctance of British Airways to help BALPA find a solution to the problem on a radio programme which highlights the continued poisoning of BALPA members along with passengers and cabin crew - is beyond ridiculous.
This issue has been swept under the carpet for decades by the Aviation Industry and the U.K. Government. BALPA are allowing this practice to continue because of their own reluctance to address the issue of contaminated air in aircraft.
Rather than blaming others for their shortcomings, BALPA should be DEMANDING the data and information they require from British Airways is provided and INSISTING that measures are taken to protect the health of their members.
If you have been involved in a Fume Event onboard an aircraft, please let us know here:
http://fumes.dallasmcintosh.co.uk
Airline Crew: Please report the incident to your airline. Pilots, please ensure a MOR is sent to the CAA. Ensure you keep a copy of all reports & correspondence.
Reporting fume Events in other countries: