Flybe and its fume-filled cabins :: 23/10/2007 :: Airport Parking News

Flybe employees boycott 146 jet

In a recent report by the BBC, it's come to light that certain planes flying into Belfast airport owned by the budget carrier Flybe have been contaminated with noxious fumes on more than one occasion in the past. The BBC says that in the past 15 months, ten aircraft have had fumes leak into the cabin in mid flight. This happened on the routes from Birmingham and London Gatwick to Belfast.

The aircraft in question is a British Aerospace 146 plane, used mostly for domestic routes inside the United Kingdom. With dangers like these, some Flybe staff and crewmembers have refused to fly on the 146 planes, reminding us that in one instant, the entire crew had to be hospitalized and two of them actually lost consciousness on the plane in the air.

The possible long-term effects of breathing in fumes that may leak into the cabin from the engine's cooling system are of great concern to those who have chosen to boycott the airplanes. Of course Flybe maintains its safety standards are excellent, but the proof is in the pudding, and the airline plans to remove the aircraft from service for 'commercial' reasons.