The Airline Industry Has a Toxic Fume Problem

航空业存在一种有害烟雾的毒瘤问题。

The Journal.

2025-09-24

23 分钟
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The fumes are often described as smelling like “dirty socks ” – and they’re seeping into airplane air, sickening some passengers and crew. So-called “fume events” have been a known problem in the airline industry for decades. But a new WSJ analysis shows they’re becoming more common, and their health effects can be severe. WSJ’s Benjamin Katz details his team’s investigation into fume events, which have led to emergency landings and affected pilots’ vision midflight. Ryan Knutson hosts. Further Listening:  - Southwest Changed Flying. Can It Change Itself? - The Love Triangle Over Spirit Airlines Sign up for WSJ’s free What’s News newsletter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  • In February, a Delta plane took off from Atlanta, bound for South Carolina.

  • At first, everything seemed fine, but minutes after takeoff,

  • plumes of white smoke entered the cabin.

  • Passengers started pulling out their phones and taking video.

  • It got so thick that, you know, in the official report, they talk about,

  • you know, flight attendants not being able to see more than two or three rows in front of them.

  • That's our colleague Benjamin Katz.

  • He covers the airline industry.

  • In the video, there's a recording that really struck me when I listened to it.

  • Ladies and gentlemen, please breathe through your clothing.

  • Stay low.

  • I mean, the passengers were freaked out, you know,

  • really, really affected and just scared, you know.

  • How could this happen?

  • Like, what happened?

  • What is going on here?

  • The flight crew radioed in an emergency and the plane was diverted back to Atlanta.

  • Videos show passengers evacuating onto the tarmac,

  • climbing out over the aircraft's wings and exiting down the inflatable emergency slides.

  • In the airline industry, there's a term for what happened on that Delta flight.