What You've Said

Panorama: Something in the Air was shown on BBC One at 8.30pm on Monday 21 April 2008

Thank you for sending us your comments on Panorama: Something in the Air.

The debate is now closed but a selection of your comments are published below.

My husband had been off sick from work for the past year. He is a Ramp Agent at the Airport and works airside. He has suffered breathing, chest & sinus problems which started about a year after he started working at the airport. He has seen numerous doctors and has had hospital visits, but is still poorly and is now being referred to a chest clinic. Three doctors he has seen have told us that he should change his job due to airline fumes. I am interested to know how many other airport workers suffer or have suffered these symptoms.
Patricia , Bedfordshire

I work as a doctor at a hyperbaric unit in london and see many cases of carbon monoxide poisoning in a year. Many of the symptoms described in your program are classic for carbon monoxide poisoning and I am concerned that the people involved in your program might be missing out on a treatment that might help. Hyperbaric oxygen improves the symptoms of acute or chronic poisoning and is a relatively safe treatment but is often overlooked.
Oliver Sykes, London, UK

BAe 146 if not properly maintained is a dreadful aircraft. I have got intoxicated this month by one of those after having studied all its issues concerning oil fumes. After several days that oil smell was reported on tech logbook I had to seek medical ER team that applied manufacturer advised crew medical tests. The result was beyond any doubt. The real problem behind all these 'air' issues relies mainly on bad, faulty or absent maintenance. Maintenance means money and our health is not a big deal for maintenance post holders. Civil aviation authorities are lacking control also.
Marco Virgili, Bergamo Italy

BBC One's Panorama on 21 April reported on concerns and conflicting perspectives related to the notion that polluted air may reach passenger cabins and flight decks of commercial airliners, resulting in the prospect of illness. Although the programme was illuminating, two blatant omissions were apparent and frankly, quite suspect. First of all, the term 'aerotoxic syndrome' which relates directly to the essence of the programme was not mentioned a single time. Why is that?. Secondly, airing of the programme was postponed or rescheduled several times but no public explanation has been available. Why is that? These two omissions can give the impression that the BBC's priorities have been made subject to factors, forces or entities that did not want the existence of "aerotoxic syndrome" to be mentioned, and which interfered with the delay and airing of the programme altogether.
Sharone Parnes, Woodstock, Oxon

I have frequently asked for oxygen on long flights because I have felt faint and dizzy. An amazing, long standing design fault to have air taken in via the engine. I hope all new airline designs will avoid this. Maybe all pilots should now wear oxygen masks for the flight duration
Claude Coopersmith, London

Have only just returned from Barcelona and have been v poorly with flu like symptoms and now have bronchitis. I also developed a chest infection on returning from Barcelona in November - a coincidence? I don't think so.
Christine Aram, Retford, Notts

I watched your Panorama programme on cabin air quality with horror, I work next to an aircraft engine factory and on a regular basis when they are testing engines our building is overcome with fumes. I have been suffering many of the same flu like symptoms for a number of years which my doctor has been unable to establish a cause for and I would be interested to know if these engine fumes have the same toxic risk as those in your programme.
Linda Burton, Gosport, England

My daughter and I returned from Prague to East Midlands on a flight at New Year 2004. In the next 24hrs she became very disorientated, distressed and had a panic attack for the first time in her life. This then developed into many symptoms including numbness down an arm, tingling, headaches, breathing problems etc. As Head of Biology in her school she couldn't work for some weeks. A CT scan showed some swelling of the brain, and for almost 11months she struggled with fatigue, migraines etc. It finally left her about a year after the flight. In retrospect we remembered that during the flight my daughter was surprised to have the glass of her watch pop off with a bang. The water bottle she had in her hand seemed to get sucked in and went all out of shape. Not quite sure if the whole thing was caused more by the pressure balance than air pollution. Would be interested to hear of anyone else's similar experience.
Tricia Lee, Warwick

I was wondering if the toxic fumes can also be a problem on small domestic flights such as those from the Channel Isles to London. We were recently on a flight to London when my husband began complaining of chest pain, he then developed an awful cough. Our GP has sent him for a series of x-rays as a hole in the lung and then a blood clot were suspected but the tests came back clear. We have not been able to find out what was causing the extreme pain and breathlessness that he experienced. The symptoms have begun to ease after 2 weeks of pure hell for him but we are still non the wiser as to what caused it.
Gemma Knight, Channel Isles

I was very interested in your programme because I have been ill 3 times after flying - the most serious episode was last summer - I am still attending hospital having been very ill through August to October 2007, having an apparently obscure blood infection and a problem with kidney function. I was also totally debilitated and had severe respiratory problems.
Annette Cohen, Glasgow

I would have thought investigating the present health hazards on the London Underground during rush hour in particular would be more important than dated research into apparent air pollution in planes such as the old 146
Nicholas Baybutt, London

Brilliant, at last! I gave up air travel last year when I woke on a transatlantic flight aware that what I was breathing contained little if any oxygen. The feeling of helpless panic is not one to be repeated. Keep digging, a tragedy awaits.
Hamish Galloway, Elie, Fife.

This was a very interesting programme as it for me highlights the dangers many of us are unaware of. I am a sufferer from OP poisoning from the scandal of sheep dip. I try to avoid these products but how am I to know when I am sitting on an aeroplane if I am being exposed. For me this could have a fatal consequence. By the way what is being done about the OP sufferers. I, like your interviewees last night, joined many studies but have not had any answers. We seem to be the forgotten!
Jeanette Elliott, Portugal

As an ex cabin staff member it now makes sense of my illness due to working on the BAe 146 for two years
Gary Scott, Stroud uk

You did not mention the type of engines that were on either the BAe 146 or the Boeing 757. Surely it is a fault of the engine when contaminated air reaches the cabin rather than a fault of the airframe, which was where the story focused. The 757 can have engines made by several manufacturers, which are also on other aircraft. I would imagine that other aircraft using the engines causing these fume problems would also be at risk.
Theo, London, UK

As 'important' and sharp-edged as this was, I had been hoping it was going to be a story about how the re-circulated air in cabins is a diabolically effective way of spreading viruses. Very many people were affected on long-distance flights around Feb, and the doctor I saw in NZ said that he and his wife had been "just washed-out for weeks" after returning from Europe. And it's surely getting worse as viruses multiply and adapt. Might not there be a way of neutralising these viruses as they pass through the air circulation system? An airline who could advertise that would be on to a winner. Wouldn't this be worth a programme?
Norman Harris, Hexham England

I am the Senior Consumer Advocate for HolidayTravelWatch. I would like to congratulate Panorama on tonight's programme on cabin air safety. I share the deep concern expressed in the programme, about the real potential for ill health or a major disaster. We have, and continue to receive complaints from air passengers alleging exposure to a fume event. We have launched a Global Petition entitled 'The Brown Bag Campaign'. It seeks to call on the airline industry and governments to stop the current fudge; where there is a chance of risk, action should be taken. We suggest that �10-20k is spent on each aircraft in service, to install filters which will remove potentially hazardous substances, and for governments to create an environment that will encourage the aviation industry, toward a more positive approach to cabin and cock-pit air safety. Your program is the beginning of a wider public awareness of this serious problem.
Frank Brehany, Birmingham UK

Good to see that samples taken from inside the aircraft showed positive for TCP. It must be suspected that aircraft other than the 146 and 757 would have similar results. It was stated that although TCP is known to be neurotoxic that levels were not considered high enough to cause symptoms associated with OP contamination. This however does rely on the individuals, pilot or passenger's, ability to remove OP'S from the body. Anybody with a genetic disadvantage who has low levels of the enzyme Paraoxonase, designed to do this, will suffer toxic accumulation both during and after flying which can lead to serious long term health problems which would never be associated with the initial source of contamination. Presently, there is no medical test for this enzymes activity level but there should be. Any person who has low level activity once contaminated to even low level TCP will not clear this OP for a considerable time and will subsequently suffer accumulation/sensitivity to everyday low level OP's which may lead to some serious long term health issues.
Chris Stroud, Nuneaton Warwickshire

My wife is still experiencing similar and severe illness since a flight back from Greece to Manchester on August 1st 2007 , after extensive scans and blood tests the hospital cannot find the cause. I sincerely hope that people are made aware especially the airlines about this health risk!!! Where do we go from here?
Noel Scot, Warrington, United Kingdom

I have never flown on an aircraft and after watching Something In The Air, I am glad I have not and am never likely to. What should have been a very enjoyable holiday for the family concerned has turned out to be a continual nightmare, with them suffering continuing ill health. It is terrible that in modern day aircraft both aircrew and passengers are still at risk of breathing in air containing toxins which are placing the future health of both at great risk as we have seen. For the future safety of aircrew and passengers great improvements have to be made to all aircraft to prevent these fumes containing toxins getting into the air supply of the aircraft.
Steve Fuller, Hove, East Sussex, England

This programme lacked accurate technical content, and led the viewer to believe that air from jet engines comes directly into the cabin of an aircraft, without the benefit of filtration or air conditioning.
Julian Holroyd, Trowbridge Wilts

I had a flight recently to and from the USA, I (and my daughter) were very ill after returning to the UK, with all the signs that you showed on your programme, i was even signed off work for a week. i know there were fumes leaking into the cabin, as i smelt strong smell of kerosene before take off. How can I contact other people on my flight?
Mr c Epstein, Mayfield, England

I work in a garage and have been for the last two-and-a-half-years, I have noticed that my health has gone down in that time so I am aware that oil in the engine on the planes are a factor in the show you have just shown! Thanks for the programme. Now I am aware of my health going down hill so I am looking towards changing my job now!!
Derek Green, Meltham, Holmfirth UK

For seven years I travelled by plane, mostly BA flights into Europe and the USA, Then in the early 2006 for seven months by low cost airline, using older planes into Denmark (B 757's) this until my illness, a flu like set of symptoms, aching joints, unable to walk, lack of appetite, memory loss, early on unable to walk unaided. I saw many local GP's and have been referred to a major hospital, and while they agreed I was very unwell, they are unable to offer any conclusion or suggestion, cure, other than over work/stress etc. I am the MD of a successful company, but even a year plus on, I can only manage a few hours light office work, having moved our offices near my home town, until recently my wife had to drive me and have to delegate all other matters and visits etc, to others whom we employ. Having seen the TV documentary, I was astonished to note the comments made by the interviewees, as I have had the very same issues re my health. Frankly if this set of circumstances of air pollution is true, then these past travel events has ruined my remaining years. I am now in my mid 50's. I would welcome the opportunity to find out more, to be part of any testing program, and am hopeful that the TV programme will help and support the conclusion to these unnecessary events which clearly exist.
Chris Towill, Wiltshire

I fly the 146 every day and I'm perfectly healthy. The pilots who took part should be ashamed of themselves. If you forget, or are unsure of a clearance given then you confirm it with ATC, you don't "throw your hands in the air". ATC is there to provide a service for aircraft. Not the other way round. When you peddle rubbish like this on your show, you only serve to misinform the public even more. This damages my faith in 'journalism', my impression was that you seek the truth. Imagine if I was as incompetent as you obviously are? Now that would alarm the flying public.
Tony Brown, Staffordshire

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