Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research her Department has conducted into the potential effects of engine oil and lubricants leaking into the cabin air on passenger airliners.

Our priority is always the safety of passengers and crew, and we continue to work with industry and regulators to drive improvements in safety standards. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has investigated fume events on aircraft, including research into the sources of fumes and their potential effects, and raised safety recommendations to address the issue of potential incapacitation of flight crew from such fume events.

Fume and smoke events must be reported as part of the UK Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Regulation. Such reports are analysed by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) airworthiness department specialists to inform policy and the scientific literature on toxicology of fume events is under continuous review by colleagues in the CAA’s Medical Department.

The CAA website includes a detailed overview of the research that has been undertaken on the topic and the conclusions of a recent study commissioned by my department and undertaken by the Committee on Toxicity (COT). This found that the levels of chemical contaminants reviewed in aircraft cabin air are unlikely to cause adverse health effects following acute or long-term exposures. The CAA continues to monitor developments and remains receptive to any new peer-reviewed published research or technological innovation.