Planes boycott at Flybe

Flight crew at budget airline Flybe are refusing to fly part of the company's fleet, on the grounds that poor air quality is putting them and passengers at risk.

Contaminated air has leaked into the cabins of Flybe’s BAe 146 aircraft 10 times in the past 15 months. During one trip from Birmingham to Belfast, two stewards collapsed after being overcome by fumes, and all seven crew members had to be taken to hospital on landing.

In September, pilots' union BALPA backed a government investigation into toxic fumes in commercial jet cabins, after a report found that poor-quality air was making pilots disoriented.