4.11.19 – Cabin Air Safety Act of 2019

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) today gave its enthusiastic support to the introduction of the Cabin Air Safety Act of 2019 introduced by longtime safety advocates and Flight Attendant supporters Senators Blumenthal, Markey and Feinstein (S. 1112) and Rep. John Garamendi in the House (H.R. 2208.) The bill calls on the FAA to take major steps in protecting passengers and crew from the effects of toxic fumes in the aircraft cabin.

“Virtually everyday we have reports documenting fume events in our aircraft. We have had crew members hospitalized and injured by these events and it is long overdue for the FAA to take action. We appreciate the steps taken today by these legislators and hope that action will soon follow. We are calling on Congress to hold a hearing on this subject as soon as possible,” -Lori Bassani APFA National President.

The Bill – Click here to view 

1. Requires carbon monoxide sensors installed on all aircraft
2. Mandates training for crew members on how to recognize and respond to toxic fume events
3. Requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to record, monitor and investigate future incidents. This database will be accessible to the public (personal information redacted) via a website.

This bill mirrors a similar effort from the last Congress which was also introduced by Senators Blumenthal, Markey and Feinstein and also acknowledges that the majority of commercial aircraft use the bleed air system to pump air into the cabin. This system is known to fail and cause toxic fumes to be released into the air that both passengers and crew members breathe. APFA will continue to work with Senator Blumenthal and others to ensure that this health threat is taken seriously. The air carriers must take steps to protect the health of their passengers and crewmembers.

APFA also endorses the Safety is Not for Sale Act of 2019 (view here) also introduced by Senator Markey today. This measure would ensure that commercial aircraft manufacturers would include the full suite of safety enhancements in each aircraft without charging extra. APFA believes that there should be one level of safety and that level should be the highest.

Allie Malis
APFA Interim National Government Affairs Representative
[email protected]