Cabin crew refuse to fly because of fumes

CABIN crew of a budget airline operating between Belfast and Britain are refusing to fly amid claims the planes are being contaminated by noxious fumes.

The action concerns 10 Belfast-bound Flybe flights. On one flight from Birmingham two crew collapsed after being overcome by fumes and another flight had to be aborted after the crew had to use oxygen masks.

The airline said it had taken a commercial decision to withdraw the aircraft concerned early next year. The decision followed a 15-month investigation by the BBC that revealed the fume problem onboard the 146-model planes made by British Aerospace.

According to the BBC investigation, in July seven crew members were taken to hospital in Belfast after the stewards collapsed on a flight from Birmingham.

The cabin crews said they are now boycotting the planes and they have been joined by some of the airline’s captains. British Aerospace said there had never been a single fatality caused by technical failure on the 146 making it “one of the safest commercial aircraft in operation today”.

The company also said that design enhancements since its introduction to service mean “cabin air quality on the BAe 146 continues to be better than the industry standard”.

Flybe told the BBC it is completely confident that its aircraft are operated and maintained to the highest industry standards.

“In line with many previous public announcements, Flybe took a commercial decision several years ago to reduce the number of aircraft types operated from three to two.

“As a result the BAe 146 fleet will have been withdrawn by February 2008.”