39 members of the US Congress have sent a letter to the FAA following up on the FAA’s inaction regarding previous legislation mandating the reporting of aircraft fume events, and use of onboard sensors to detect the nature and content of poisonous compounds in smoke events in aircraft cabins. The letter, attached includes the following content:
“The 2024 FAA Reauthorization required the FAA to develop a standardized submission system for air carrier employees to voluntarily report fume or smoke events onboard passenger-carrying aircraft. This reporting system is required to, among others, include the type of aircraft, the intensity of the fumes or smoke, the duration of the fume or smoke event, and any required onboard medical attention for passengers or crew members. The law also requires the National Academies to issue recommendations on improving overall cabin air quality; as well as allows the FAA to issue rulemaking regarding training for flight and ground crew members, installation of onboard detectors, and airlines’ response to fume and smoke events.
In light of recent reporting and investigations that show the extent of these events and the serious health impacts they can cause; we urge you to expeditiously complete the work of standing up this required reporting system and request an update on the implementation timeline. We also request that you take steps to create a similar reporting system for passengers to report fume or smoke events they experience to ensure that all concerning events are captured. “