Flying safety is more than making it to our destination; it’s about the air we have to breathe while in the skies. Toxic fume events can occur when air, contaminated by engine exhaust, fuel fumes, de-icing fluids and/or ozone, enters the aircraft cabin through the jet engine intake. Exposure to even low levels of these contaminants can incapacitate passengers and crew, and long-term exposure could lead to debilitating health issues.

In April, U.S. Representative John Garamendi (D-CA) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Cabin Air Safety Act (H.R. 2208) to protect commercial airline passengers and crew from toxic cabin air. Follow its progress at GovTrack.US.

The bill would require training on toxic fumes for all pilots, crew members and flight attendants; make sure the Federal Aviation Administration maintains a record of all reports of and conducts investigations into all toxic fume occurrences; and direct the airline industry to install detectors in the air supply system of planes to locate sources of contamination.

Contact a congressional representative, listed on GovTrack.US, to support the bill.