TOULOUSE— Thousands of in-flight “fume events” have been reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) since 2010, many involving Airbus A320 aircraft, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation. The incidents have left passengers and crew suffering from serious health problems, some resembling brain injuries typically associated with professional athletes.
Cases have also been reported at airports, including Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) and Augusta Regional Airport (AGS), where aircraft were forced to stop operations due to suspected jet fuel or smoke-related leaks. Several of these situations resulted in emergency evacuations and medical interventions for flight attendants and travelers.
Photo: Clément AlloingJetBlue Investigating the Rise in Fume Events
The Wall Street Journal found that reports of jet fuel leaks and toxic cabin air incidents have increased in recent years. These events are often linked to Airbus A320 aircraft, one of the most widely used narrow-body jets in commercial aviation.
Flight attendant Florence Chesson described her own experience on a December 2017 flight to Puerto Rico (SJU) as life-altering.
She recalled a strong “dirty feet” smell spreading through the cabin before she began to feel disoriented, drugged, and eventually developed long-term neurological symptoms.
Two of her colleagues were hospitalized following that flight, though the aircraft was later cleared for another departure to Boston (BOS).
Her physician, Dr. Robert Kaniecki, said her condition mirrored brain trauma typically seen in NFL players. Over the past two decades, he has treated around a dozen pilots and more than 100 flight attendants for similar cases, all linked to suspected fume exposure during flights, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Photo: Alan Wilson | FlickrDocumented Incidents Across Airlines
Not all cases are limited to Airbus aircraft. In April, an American Airlines (AA) Bombardier CRJ900 operated by American Eagle filled with smoke shortly after landing at Augusta Regional Airport (AGS) from Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT).
The aircraft stopped on the runway as passengers evacuated, some climbing onto the wings to escape.
While no injuries were reported, the FAA launched an investigation into the incident. American Airlines confirmed a maintenance issue had triggered the problem, but stressed that all passengers were escorted safely into the terminal.
In another case, a China Southern Airlines (CZ) flight from Hangzhou (HGH) to Shenzhen (SZX) was forced to return shortly after departure when a passenger’s power bank ignited inside an overhead locker.
The fire filled the cabin with acrid smoke before the crew extinguished it. The flight landed safely, and no passengers were injured.
Photo: By Acroterion – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52860715Bottom Line
While some incidents are caused by passenger devices, the recurring pattern of toxic fume reports tied to aircraft engines and systems is raising broader safety concerns.
Aviation experts argue that exposure to contaminated cabin air is a largely underreported issue, leaving regulators and airlines under pressure to strengthen monitoring systems and prevention measures.
The FAA continues to collect and review data on reported cases, but industry calls for more transparent reporting and consistent testing protocols are growing.
Flight attendant unions and advocacy groups have also pushed for improved training to help crew respond quickly to suspected contamination events.
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