Have A Say About The Air Conditions On Your Next Flight

E-mail List

We have started an e-mailing to interested Netizens and frequent flyers.

The first mailing went out on June 21, 1996, as follows:

Want to do something about unhealthy air in airplanes? Do you want to change the quality of air travel? More fresh air in planes is the goal of a new bill in the U.S. Congress.

Perhaps you want to e-mail your concerns to the co-sponsors of the bill. In case you do, here are their e-mail addresses: Senator Dianne Feinstein (California) and Representative Jerrold Nadler (New York).

Some readers wrote back and they said they would like to help, but they don't have the time to draft a letter. They asked if I would please draft a letter for them. So, here is a suggested text for your letter to Congress. (To be most effective, please send copies to your newspaper and to yours truly)

Dear Senator/Congressman/Congresswoman:

I understand that the Senate and House have bills before them that would improve the air quality in passenger jets. I ask you to please give these bills all the support you can muster.

For too long, the cabin environment has been neglected. Health has been compromised by economy, and yet passengers have no control over the condition of their flight environment.

Besides appealing to the airlines, which I do, I would like the air travel regulatory bodies to take more responsibility in this key area of air travel health and safety. There are several other cabin environment concerns that deserve attention, and air quality is the best place to start.

Please awaken the consciousness of the airlines on my behalf, and on behalf of the entire air traveling public. Thank you.

This is an opportunity to change the conditions on your next flight. Join our e-mail list. We welcome your participation in our political actions.

To subscribe, send e-mail to diana@flyana.com with "subscribe flyers" in the subject of your message.

Flyers' Update

12-10-98

Dear Readers,

My website "Healthy Flying With Diana Fairechild" has a lot of new articles. Here's an excerpt from one on "Air Rage"....

Airline crews have begun to take drastic measures which sometimes have disasterous consequences.

In December 1998, an unruly passenger aboard a Malov flight died between Bangkok and Budapest. The crew and passengers had tied him to his seat, then a doctor on board injected him with a tranquilizer.

The passenger died in his shackles, and then the captain made an unscheduled stop in Istanbul.

Five passengers who witnessed the tragedy were detained by the Turkish police along with the doctor. After a 13-hour delay, the remaining 183 passengers winged away with late arrivals and missed connections (and behaved themselves).

An autopsy in Istanbul showed that the unruly passenger had died because of the mixture of the tranquilizer and some other drug or alcohol.

Who is responsible?

The airlines must accept the major portion of the blame. Managment is not responding to the need for in-flight security. Crews should not be in the position to be bouncers and bodyguards. The whole situation is caused, in the first place, by the airlines creating an atmosphere where rage bubbles up just like soft drinks fizz over at high altitudes.

The prolific service of alcohol, combined with bad air and inhumane seating are all contributory....

"Healthy Flying With Diana Fairechild" offers you the latest, up-to-date information about safe, healthy flying. Please support us this holiday with your book purchases, consultations, and tax-deductible contributions to the Fair Air Coalition. All donations, no matter how large or small, make a difference. Proceeds go towards consumer advocacy for safe, healthy flying.

Thank you.