FUMES allegedly leaking into Flybe’s BAe 146 aircraft are not a risk to travellers or crew. The airline has been defending itself against claims made in the BBC Radio 5 Live report that some pilots were refusing to operate that type of aircraft.

It uses the whisper jet on its Guernsey-Gatwick service and said yesterday that it was completely confident that all its aircraft were operated and maintained to the highest industry standards and that travellers to the Bailiwick were not at threat.

‘Not one of Flybe’s 700 pilots has ever refused to fly any of our aircraft,’ said head of PR and public affairs Niall Duffy.

‘In line with many previous public announcements, Flybe took a commercial decision several years ago to reduce the number of aircraft types operated from three to two,’ he said.

‘As a result, the BAe 146 fleet will have been withdrawn by February.’

The BBC reported in Sunday’s morning programme that it had discovered noxious fumes had leaked into cabins on a number of flights.

The broadcaster said that there had been incidents thought to have involved contaminated air on 10 Belfast-bound flights and that these had prompted a protest by cabin crew.

Staff members, it claimed, had become concerned about health risks after two stewardesses had collapsed after being overcome by fumes on a flight from Birmingham in July and all seven crew members had had to go to hospital.

The programme also claimed that a flight in February was aborted after 15 minutes when the flight crew had to use oxygen masks.

Airport director Colin Le Ray said that he was not aware of any incidents affecting local crew operating that type of aircraft, nor was he aware of any industrial action being taken.

‘Generally it has proved to be a very reliable asset on the Guernsey-Gatwick route over many years,’ he said.