Some fifty film fans, travelers, and flight attendants joined Brian Buchanan and Julie Pelletier, health and safety representatives from the Airline Division of CUPE at the first North American French-language screening of Welcome Aboard Toxic Airlines. The film was shown on Saturday, April 11, 2009, at Montreal’s Cinéma du Parc during the “Soirées de l’environnement” event organized by Ciné-Militant.
The film, shown in the original English version with French subtitles, sheds light on what aviation professionals have called the worst scandal in the field’s history. For about 50 years, passengers and crew members have been breathing unfiltered air taken directly from engines (also known as “bleed air”), exposing them to the carcinogens and neurotoxins present in motor oil.
Brian Buchanan, from CUPE 4092 (and a flight attendant with Air Canada in Toronto), as well as Julie Pelletier, an employee representative at Air Canada’s health and safety committee in Montreal, answered questions from the audience after the screening.
“This documentary raises serious questions on the quality of air coming through airliner jet engines. We will continue to use it as an awareness-raising tool for flight attendants and travelers. What we would like is for the risks related to bleed air to be clearly evaluated and strictly managed,” declared Brian Buchanan.
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To learn more on the issue, visit the Aerotoxic Association’s website