Duckworth Joins Blumenthal in Reintroducing Legislation to Protect Airline Passengers and Crew from Toxic Cabin Air

Duckworth Joins Blumenthal in Reintroducing Legislation to Protect Airline Passengers and Crew from Toxic Cabin Air

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)-Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee (CST) on Aviation, Space and Innovation-joined U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) in reintroducing the Cabin Air Safety Act, bicameral legislation to protect airline pilots, flight attendants and passengers from toxic cabin air. Building on cabin air reporting provisions secured in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 that Duckworth helped author, the legislation would expand FAA reporting and investigation requirements, require real-time onboard air quality monitoring equipment, improve crew training and enhance the collection and public reporting of data on engine oil and hydraulic fluid smoke or fume events to help prevent future incidents and improve aviation safety.

"The flying public deserves certainty that the air they breathe during their flight isn't jeopardizing their health and safety," said Duckworth. "When toxic fumes leak into the cabin, it could lead to health issues for passengers and potentially dangerous impairments to the pilots and crew. Our commonsense legislation would equip every cabin with air quality monitors and help prevent these incidents from happening."

"For too long, dangerous cabin air events have gone underreported, under investigated, and unaddressed," said Blumenthal. "Our measure gives the FAA the tools it needs to identify these events in real time, ensure they are properly reported and investigated, and take steps to prevent them from happening in the first place. Pilots, flight attendants, aircraft mechanics, and passengers deserve to know that the air they breathe is safe."

"Airline crew members and passengers have the right to breathe safe, clean air, on the ground and in the air. They should never have to worry about breathing in toxic air pollutants that put their health at risk," said Markey. "I'm proud to join Senator Blumenthal in introducing the Cabin Air Safety Act to ensure we put the health, safety, and wellbeing of our crewmembers and passengers first."

The legislation would establish a new chapter dedicated to cabin air quality and safety, with five key provisions:

1. Mandatory Air Safety Training: Mandates that pilots, flight attendants, aircraft technicians and airport emergency first responders receive detailed training to recognize, manage and report toxic smoke, hazardous fumes and air contamination incidents on aircraft.
2. Standardized Reporting & Public Portal: Directs the FAA to implement a standardized system for crew members to report smoke and fume incidents. The FAA must maintain a searchable, online public database of aggregate, anonymized incident data.
3. Incident Investigations: Authorizes the FAA to conduct official investigations into air contamination events and requires an investigation whenever an incident results in crew members or passengers needing medical attention beyond basic first aid.
4. Onboard Air Monitoring & Detection: Directs air carriers to install and operate real-time detectors and air quality monitoring equipment within the air supply system to identify contamination sources and alert flight crews to hazardous air conditions.
5. Air Quality Standards & Rulemaking: Authorizes the FAA to establish aircraft cabin air quality standards and specific maintenance requirements to mitigate air supply contamination and protect public health.

The Cabin Air Safety Act is endorsed by the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Transport Workers Union (TWU), Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, National League of Consumers, American Association for Justice (AAJ) and the American Lung Association.

Full text of the legislation is available on Senator Duckworth's website.

Duckworth is a leading voice in the push to make our skies safer. For years, she has been sounding the alarm that we must make critical aviation safety investments immediately to prevent all-too-often near-misses from becoming catastrophic tragedies. In June, the Senator called out the FAA and demanded it reject any pressure to rubberstamp Donald Trump's latest taxpayer-funded vanity project, the so-called "Triumphal Arch," that could jeopardize the safety of the flying public. In May, she excoriated FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford for failing to implement urgently needed recommendations from the NTSB final report on the DCA mid-air collision that would strengthen the safety of our aviation system and prevent future tragedies.

Duckworth also helped author the bipartisan FAA reauthorization law, which included several of her provisions to safeguard the 1,500-hour rule, improve consumer safety, expand the aviation workforce and enhance protections for travelers with disabilities.

-30-