Smelly planes cause illness
FIONA HUDSON
02feb00

AIRLINE passengers' health could be at risk from fumes leaking into some planes, a Senate inquiry heard yesterday.

Passengers on BAe146 planes risked headaches, fatigue, nausea and rashes, the inquiry was told.

Sydney doctor Mark Donohoe said evidence existed showing pilots and flight attendants were sick from bad air in the planes.

But no one had examined properly whether passengers were falling ill too, he said.

Dr Donohoe said he had treated two patients who'd become sick after travelling on BAe146 flights.

Both had noticed acrid odours wafting through the cabin during flight, he said.

Qantas, Ansett and National Jet Systems operate about 35 of the planes in Australia. They carry about three million passengers a year.

The Senate inquiry into cabin air quality in the planes was sparked by a 1997 incident when fumes overpowered a pilot as he was about to land in Melbourne.

In a written submission to the inquiry, a former pilot said her health and career had been ruined by bad air.

Former National Jet Systems pilot Susan Michaelis, 37, said she'd been unable to fly or work since 1997.

Her ability to fly safely while employed was often impaired by fumes, she wrote.

"This problem has essentially been brushed under the carpet for too long and must be fixed before any more serious incidents occur," she said.

Qantas representatives told the inquiry passengers or crew complained of bad odours on the planes as often as once a week.

But the planes still "more than complied" with air quality requirements set down.

Causes of smells included oil leaks, kitchen odours and electrical overheating, they said.

Modifications to the planes, to be completed by the end of this year, should wipe out most odours, they said.