Thu, Feb 12, 2004
Congress Says Cabin Air Poses Health Risks
The FAA isn't doing
enough to find out whether people are more likely to catch the flu
or other diseases when they fly, a congressional report said
Tuesday. The report by the General Accounting Office recommended
more research into the health effects of the dry, recirculated air
inside commercial airplanes. Many suspect that airplane air causes
upper respiratory illnesses.
"It would be hard to find an airline passenger who has never
come down with a cold or a sore throat and runny nose after
flying," Rep. Peter DeFazio, the Oregon Democrat who requested the
report, said in a statement.
In 2001, a scientific panel recommended that the FAA collect
more data about cabin air. The FAA agreed to lead a research
program to determine the accuracy of perceptions that air
circulated inside airplanes causes discomfort or illness. The GAO,
Congress's investigative arm, said in its report that the FAA's
research plans are too limited.
"FAA has not yet
developed a detailed plan with key milestones and funding estimates
for conducting the planned surveillance and research program," the
report said.
FAA spokeswoman Alison Duquette said past research has generally
shown that airplane air is cleaner than the air in most homes and
offices. She said the FAA, though, is funding several studies,
including one to monitor air inside passenger aircraft cabins.
"It's a recurring concern that passengers and flight attendants
have," Duquette said. "We are pursuing doing actual data collection
aboard aircraft."
Currently, about 85 percent of large airliners use
hospital-grade filters — called high-efficiency particulate
air filters — which health experts say is the best way to
protect passengers from viruses and bacteria, the report said. A
smaller percent of planes that carry fewer than 100 passengers use
the filters, the GAO said.
More News
Aero Linx: International Business Aviation Council Ltd IBAC promotes the growth of business aviation, benefiting all sectors of the industry and all regions of the world. As a non->[...]
"During the annual inspection of the B-24 “Diamond Lil” this off-season, we made the determination that 'Lil' needs some new feathers. Due to weathering, the cloth-cove>[...]
Also: Bushcat Woes, Hummingbird 300 SL 4-Seat Heli Kit, Carbon Cub UL The newest Junkers is a faithful recreation that mates a 7-cylinder Verner radial engine to the airframe offer>[...]
Also: Seaplane Pilots Association, Rotax 916’s First Year, Gene Conrad After a decade and a half of struggling with the FAA and other aero-politics, G100UL is in production a>[...]
Also: Martha King Scholarship, Montaer Grows, Textron Updates Pistons, FlySto The FAA is hiring thousands of air traffic controllers, but the window to apply will only be open for >[...]