Delta Air Lines says it’s replacing all the Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) on its 300 or so Airbus A320 series aircraft because of reports that some flight crew members have suffered irreversible brain damage from smoke created by them. According to various reports, the APUs can leak oil internally and when they’re being used to supply bleed air while the plane is on the ground the smoke can get inside the cabin. Delta confirmed the reports over the weekend, but an airline spokesman told the Wall Street Journal that “instances of fumes in the aircraft cabins are rare.”
The Journal also interviewed two doctors who had treated flight attendants and pilots and likened the effects of the fumes to concussions suffered by NFL players. Dr. Robert Kaniecki, a neurologist, told the Journal he had treated more than 100 flight attendants and a dozen pilots for brain injuries related to the fumes. United Airlines is also addressing the issue with its A320s by changing out seals in the APUs to prevent oil leaks.
I grew up in L.A. in the ’50s, when the aviation wx report was every day , “sky partially obscured, visibility 3 miles, haze and smoke (that was the technical phrase for smog). The folks inland over by Riverside had it much worse. Is my brain now sufferings from irreversible brain damage? I’d been just writing it off to getting old.
A responsible move by Delta. When you are faced with a known health hazard and no action is planned or taken, the agency responsible (Delta) exposes itself for actions down the road. Cabin air quality has been a topic of discussion for decades and responsibly addressing known shortcomings is right and proper. Human health falls right in the middle of any safety discussion. Good on Delta.