Maxwell Frost introduces bill to protect air passengers, crews from toxic fumes

Florida Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost speaking at a press conference on Capitol Hill on May 23, 2024. Source: ScreenshotQuality Journalism for Critical Times

Orlando-area Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost introduced federal legislation on Thursday that would require new aircraft to be built with electrical systems that provide clean, unpolluted air inside cabins.

His measure also would phase out what is known as “bleed air” systems that expose pilots, flight attendants, and passengers to potentially inhaling toxic air while traveling on an airplane.

“The Safe Air on Airplanes Act” will end the use of what he termed “this antiquated air system” by phasing out bleed air systems in all commercial aircraft completely and requiring filters of these systems on new aircraft that are stronger and will “do a better job of keeping contaminants out of the air we breathe,” Frost said during a news conference on Capitol Hill on Thursday.

“What a lot of folks don’t know is, because of obsolete, flawed bleed air systems in almost all commercial aircraft, these passengers and flight crews are being exposed to dangerous engine fumes and toxic chemicals that are small enough to pass through current air filters, effectively forcing millions of people every day to inhale toxic air while traveling on an airplane,” he continued.

“Being exposed to these fumes is not an insignificant thing. People and passengers and crew alike and pilots who have been exposed to this have suffered from chronic health illnesses, experienced dizziness, vomiting, difficulty breathing, irregular heart rates, and memory loss.” 

Bleed air is outside air that’s been moved from the engines of the plane before the combustion stage into an air conditioning system and then to the cabin. When engine seals deteriorate, the bleed air can mix with fumes from high-temperature synthetic oil, Bloomberg reported in 2017. At high enough concentrations, these can result in what are known as toxic fume events.

The bill has bipartisan support, as New York Republican Mike Lawler also spoke at the press conference on Thursday. 

“An average of five fume events are reported to the FAA every single day,” he said. “It’s unacceptable and must be addressed as quickly as possible to ensure the health and safety of all those who fly, from our pilots to our flight attendants to consumers,” Lawler said.

California Democratic Rep. John Garamendi is another co-sponsor of the measure. He said the recently enacted five-year reauthorization bill for the Federal Aviation Administration addresses a portion of the problem. The legislation mandates that the FAA study bleed air contaminants in the cabin and issue recommendations. And it directs the FAA to develop a standardized and centralized system for flight attendants, pilots, and other aircraft maintenance technicians to report and track fume and smoke events.

He cautioned that the airlines will likely resist the legislation.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Garamendi said. “The airline industry is not going to be interested in spending money to protect the air quality and the passengers and, more important, the men and women who are on those planes every day as they carry out their jobs.” 

‘Change needs to happen’

Frost said the problem with bleed air was brought to him by a constituent, Shannon Dewitt, who has been a flight attendant for 18 years. 

Dewitt at one point nearly broke down while speaking during the press conference when he mentioned that at one point he had spent eight months in language therapy after he lost his ability to speak properly following a fume event.

“I cared about my profession, and this is wrong,” Dewitt said. “This is wrong and change needs to happen. Come on! Change needs to happen! We have had it! I’m tired of being poisoned. I just want to go to work and make my money and have my career. I should never, ever have to worry about being poisoned in my workplace. Period.”

The legislation is endorsed by organized labor: the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and the Transport Workers Union of America all back the bill, according to a press release issued by Frost’s office.

“No one should get sick because the air on our planes becomes contaminated with poisons,” said Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, in a written statement. “For years, flight attendants have been demanding action to fix air bleed systems and protect flight attendants, pilots, and passengers from toxic fumes. Rep. Frost and his colleagues are taking meaningful action to protect crew and the health and safety of the entire traveling public.”

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