AerSalus: Alliance launched in defense of air quality on aircraft

A partnership brings together pilot unions, flight attendants, medical specialists and engineering legal experts, to “exchange expertise in areas such as operational experience, aerospace medicine, toxicology, aeronautical engineering and maintenance, to advance industry understanding” on air quality, explains the organization in a statement.

The alliance, whose name makes a Latin allusion to “Ar Seguro”, was founded in June 2026 and “consolidated with the signing of the ‘Lisbon Declaration on the cooperation between air quality of aircraft and cabin’,” says the organization.

The alliance brings together four organizations: the National Aeronaut Union (SNA) of Brazil, the French Association of Victims of the Aerotoxic Syndrome (AVSA) and two Portuguese trade union associations, the Civil Aviation Pilots Union (SPAC) and the National Civil Aviation Flight Personnel Union (SNPVAC).

The organization stresses that “the technical and medical complexity of cabin air quality requires a multidisciplinary approach and coordinated efforts around the world”, since “air quality in aircraft cabin is a critical issue that directly impacts operational safety, occupational health of crew members and passenger protection.”.

With the formation of this coalition, the signatories undertake to jointly face air contamination events – including those involving odors, smoke, vapors and aerosols – with a new standard of mutual support, technical responsibility and scientific transparency.

The alliance aims to “establish a permanent channel for sharing operational experiences, academic studies, scientific references and best practices”, promote “laboratory tests and toxicological analyses to identify chemical exposures and evaluate potential health impacts”, encourage “the improved use of standardized protocols to report, monitor and analyze air quality occurrences” and “advocacy for enhanced maintenance and medical response procedures”.

Another objective is to “bring together efforts to increase awareness among regulatory authorities, manufacturers and air operators about the need to improve detection and monitoring tools”.

The alliance says it is “uniting efforts with various institutions in Portugal and France to allow numerous crew members affected worldwide, with a validated medical history of multiple long-term exposures and symptoms compatible with the Aerotoxic Syndrome, to be diagnosed by medical, forensic and nanoscience experts.”.