Pledge to probe plane death links

Nov 25 2007 Wales on Sunday

AIR health watchdogs have vowed to investigate any links between Aerotoxic Syndrome and Deep Vein Thrombosis.

Their action follows last week’s Wales on Sunday revelation that planes flying over our major towns and cities could crash because pilots were being poisoned by toxic fumes.

A spokesperson for the Aerotoxic Association also claimed that 200,000 passengers were struck down by the illness every year.

The syndrome is caused by poor plumbing in airplanes which allows harmful pollutants from engine oil to filter into the aircraft cabin.

Now Linda Jones, the founder and former president of Victims of Air Related Death (VARDA), believes there may be links between the syndrome and another potential killer, Deep Vein Thrombosis.

She said: “It’s an invisible killer and it’s literally getting away with murder. The Government and the airlines are fully aware of this – but no investigations are ever done.

“The airlines are afraid of details of this getting out into the public. I think there’s a conspiracy to keep the public in the dark and I think they’re afraid to say that something’s actually wrong.

“People are not aware that if you walk on an aircraft, you are not actually covered if you die.”

Mrs Jones started up VARDA after she lost her own father to DVT in 2000. He developed a blood clot while on a flight to Australia where he was visiting family.

Mrs Jones said: “He spent a couple of days in Australia, but started to feel quite ill so he went into hospital and he seemed ok for a short time.

“But then he was suffering from headaches, so they took him down for a scan and they discovered that he had a blood clot in his brain.

“He then went into a coma before dying.”

Up until now, Mrs Jones, from Cardiff, had always assumed that her father, Thomas Lamb, had simply died from DVT.

But after reading our article, she now believes there might be links.

She said: “It was only after reading the article last week that I realised that his symptoms were extremely similar to Aerotoxic Syndrome. The dizziness and the breathlessness that he had no-one could explain – it suggests to me that there must be some sort of link.

“It’s uncanny that I’m reading about the symptoms of Aerotoxic Syndrome and they are so similar to those of DVT.

“No-one suggested that he might have Aerotoxic Syndrome – and no- one seemed to know about it before. But then no-one knew about DVT before my dad got it.”

Mrs Jones said that VARDA, which supports anyone who has fallen ill while flying, would launch an investigation into the possible links.

She said: “We’re definitely going to investigate this. We need people to look into this and start thinking about the links between the two.”

Last week the Civil Aviation Authority said: “We take any evidence of health risk to pilots and cabin crew very seriously and continue to work closely with the Department for Transport’s Aviation Health Working Group on this further research.

“The CAA will continue to closely monitor any reports of contaminated cabin air on UK registered aircraft and will ensure existing measures to maintain flight safety are strictly enforced.”