British airline workers are said to be increasingly concerned about the quality of air inside cabins as it was revealed that 17 cases are being taken claiming personal injury.

The union Unite launched a helpline last month amid worries over contaminated air inside aircraft cabins.

It said 17 former and current cabin crew staff working for unnamed British airlines were taking civil cases.

A Unite spokesman said: “It is quite clear that the industry needs to do more to monitor the quality of cabin air.”

Unite repeated its call for a public inquiry into the issue.

The airline industry has said incidents of smoke or fumes on planes are rare, believing there was no evidence of long-term health effects.

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