15 Jun 2006 : Column 1321W

Thursday 15 June 2006

Aircraft Safety

Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which aircraft types have reported the highest number of contaminated air events in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [74818]

Gillian Merron: The Civil Aviation Authority(CAA) has advised that there have been 373 reportable occurrences involving contaminated air during the10 year period from 1 May 1996 to 30 April 2006, during which there were 13.8 million flights carried out by UK operators worldwide in public transport operations.

Seven aircraft types had 10 or more reportable occurrences of contaminated air, representing 75 per cent. of the total number of contaminated air occurrences in the 10 year period.

1 May 1996 to 30 April 2006

Aircraft type

Reported occurrences involving contaminated air

Percentage of total reported occurrences

Boeing 757

94

25

British Aerospace BAe146

67

18

EmbraerEMB145

38

10

Boeing 737

29

8

De Havilland DHC8

22

6

Airbus A320

16

4

Airbus A319

14

4

Various other aircraft

93

25

Total

373

100

 

 

AOPIS COMMENT:

The UK Government forgets to advise:
1. All UK unions have stated that under reporting of contaminated air events is massive.
2. Data from the IPA and BALPA clearly shows the CAA database to be inaccurate.