Crew refuses to fly over air quality

Updated: 18:38, Wednesday, 24 October 2007

Planes flown by a budget airline between Belfast and British airports have been contaminated by noxious fumes, it is reported.

Flight crew members at Flybe are refusing to fly on some of its planes claiming their health and that of passengers is being put at risk.

The company said it had taken a commercial decision to withdraw the aircraft concerned early next year.

In the past 15 months, a BBC investigation has found that noxious fumes have leaked into aircraft cabins on ten Flybe flights operating on the Birmingham to Belfast and Gatwick to Belfast routes.

These all involve the same type of aircraft - the 146 made by British Aerospace.

On one flight in mid-air two cabin attendants two cabin attendants collapsed and the whole crew were taken to hospital on arrival in Belfast.

Flybe says its aircraft are operated and maintained to the highest industry standard.

Apart from Belfast, the airline operates out of Dublin, Galway and a string of British and other European destinations.

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