Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

How Clean is Airplane Cabin Air?

Aired June 05, 2003 - 13:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It can be stuffy on airplanes, but can cabin air quality endanger you health? The FAA's federal air surgeon testified on Capitol Hill this morning, and CNN's Kathleen Koch joining us now with the latest on all this -- hello, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles. Believe it or not, the air in plane cabins can be quite a noxious brew. Half the air comes from outside, but half of the air is recirculated from inside the cabin, and it can contain carbon monoxide, nitrogen, oxides, pesticides, contaminants from the plane itself being cleaned, disinfected, and de-iced. Even engine oil and hydraulic fluids can seep into the air that flows through cabins.

Flight attendants' unions say that some of their members are getting sick, some passengers too. But congressmen this morning were quite upset to hear that despite recommendations years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration has done no definitive study of how bad the problem is or how to fix it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAMES OBERSTAR (D), MINNESOTA: You're recirculating the air that's already there. If that's going to be the case, then -- then the surgeon general of the Air -- of the Air -- of the FAA ought to be insisting that we do a better job of filtering that air, cleaning it up.

Now, you sit there with sober faces and tell us all this stuff. The point is, people are getting sick, flight attendants are getting sick. We need to do better, and that's my message to you.

DR. JON JORDAN, FAA FEDERAL AIR SURGEON: We do see that flight attendants and occasionally passengers complain about illnesses that they feel that they have contracted on the air carrier aircraft, but exactly the mechanism for those problems has been difficult to define, and what we do to correct them has also been difficult to define.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: The FAA is having an air monitoring system, a compact one, designed that will soon go on to two airplanes to test cabin air quality, and they hope to have some results back by 2007.

Now, regarding the very important issue of SARS, the Centers for Disease Control testified this morning that it cannot say how high the risk is of contracting SARS while in an airplane. It admitted that transmission can occur from person to person or via the air recirculation system. The CDC said it believes that the best preventive step is to strengthen preboarding checks to keep infected people from getting on planes at all -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Are there any tips for travelers? Obviously, holding your breath is out of the question. What else can you do to protect yourself on a plane?

KOCH: Well, Miles, it seems that the longer you're in a plane, the greater the risk, but they do recommend, they say, staying hydrated. You know, those recommendations, drink a lot of water. That's very important because the air in planes is very dry. That can help keep you healthier, and try to keep your distance from other passengers. They think that that may actually be the problem, perhaps not the air systems, but simply that many people in such a tiny area for such a long period of time.

O'BRIEN: Those of us stuck in 19E, sandwiched in like a sardine, probably would like to keep away from other passengers. All right. Kathleen Koch, thank you very much.

KOCH: Tough to do.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired June 5, 2003 - 13:46   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: It can be stuffy on airplanes, but can cabin air quality endanger you health? The FAA's federal air surgeon testified on Capitol Hill this morning, and CNN's Kathleen Koch joining us now with the latest on all this -- hello, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Miles. Believe it or not, the air in plane cabins can be quite a noxious brew. Half the air comes from outside, but half of the air is recirculated from inside the cabin, and it can contain carbon monoxide, nitrogen, oxides, pesticides, contaminants from the plane itself being cleaned, disinfected, and de-iced. Even engine oil and hydraulic fluids can seep into the air that flows through cabins.

Flight attendants' unions say that some of their members are getting sick, some passengers too. But congressmen this morning were quite upset to hear that despite recommendations years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration has done no definitive study of how bad the problem is or how to fix it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAMES OBERSTAR (D), MINNESOTA: You're recirculating the air that's already there. If that's going to be the case, then -- then the surgeon general of the Air -- of the Air -- of the FAA ought to be insisting that we do a better job of filtering that air, cleaning it up.

Now, you sit there with sober faces and tell us all this stuff. The point is, people are getting sick, flight attendants are getting sick. We need to do better, and that's my message to you.

DR. JON JORDAN, FAA FEDERAL AIR SURGEON: We do see that flight attendants and occasionally passengers complain about illnesses that they feel that they have contracted on the air carrier aircraft, but exactly the mechanism for those problems has been difficult to define, and what we do to correct them has also been difficult to define.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: The FAA is having an air monitoring system, a compact one, designed that will soon go on to two airplanes to test cabin air quality, and they hope to have some results back by 2007.

Now, regarding the very important issue of SARS, the Centers for Disease Control testified this morning that it cannot say how high the risk is of contracting SARS while in an airplane. It admitted that transmission can occur from person to person or via the air recirculation system. The CDC said it believes that the best preventive step is to strengthen preboarding checks to keep infected people from getting on planes at all -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Are there any tips for travelers? Obviously, holding your breath is out of the question. What else can you do to protect yourself on a plane?

KOCH: Well, Miles, it seems that the longer you're in a plane, the greater the risk, but they do recommend, they say, staying hydrated. You know, those recommendations, drink a lot of water. That's very important because the air in planes is very dry. That can help keep you healthier, and try to keep your distance from other passengers. They think that that may actually be the problem, perhaps not the air systems, but simply that many people in such a tiny area for such a long period of time.

O'BRIEN: Those of us stuck in 19E, sandwiched in like a sardine, probably would like to keep away from other passengers. All right. Kathleen Koch, thank you very much.

KOCH: Tough to do.

O'BRIEN: Thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com