Recipient

British Airways Plc

First report 16 Feb 2015•Latest report 16 Feb 2015

Recipient record

Reports, concerns and published responses

Private and voluntary organisations · Air transport operator. This page brings together reports naming this recipient and response statements clearly connected to concerns raised in those reports.

Reports: 1
Published responses: 100%
Concerns addressed: 4
Stated actions: 2

Reports over time

Reports naming this recipient by issue year.

Evidence profile

Report topics

Share of this recipient’s reports compared with all other recipients.

100%published responses found

2stated actions described

Topic comparisons are not available in the current evidence snapshot.

Concerns and recipient responses

Statements from British Airways Plc linked to the concerns in each report. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

16 Feb2015
Dorset
Concerns raised5
1. Failure to account for genetic variation in susceptibility to exposure
2. Lack of real-time monitoring for organo-phosphate compounds in cabin air
3. Exposure of aircraft cabin occupants to organo-phosphate compounds causing health damage
1. Health impairment of aircraft controllers endangering aircraft occupants
2. Presence of organo-phosphate compounds in aircraft cabin air
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response 1
1. Action
  Maintain a system for monitoring cabin-air contamination events.
  Stated completed
Respondent positions 2
1. Position
  Existing government and regulatory guidance, compliance with legislation, research monitoring and event monitoring are considered sufficient.
  Existing arrangements considered sufficient
1. Position
  Available evidence does not support a risk of future deaths from cabin air contamination requiring further action.
  Disputes the concern
AI-generated summary

RICHARD MARK WESTGATE · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Richard Mark Westgate was found deceased in his room at the Bastion Hotel in Bussum, Netherlands, on 12 December 2012. The report raised concerns about exposure to organophosphate compounds in aircraft cabin air, possible consequential health damage, risks posed by impaired aircraft controllers, lack of real-time monitoring, and genetic variation in susceptibility.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to British Airways Plc; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Failure to account for genetic variation in susceptibility to exposure
Wider context from the report
“(5) That no account is taken of genetic variation in the human species, such as would render individuals tolerant or intolerant of the exposure. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to British Airways Plc; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Lack of real-time monitoring for organo-phosphate compounds in cabin air
Wider context from the report
“(4) There is no real time monitoring to detect such compounds in cabin air. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to British Airways Plc; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Exposure of aircraft cabin occupants to organo-phosphate compounds causing health damage
Wider context from the report
“(2) That the occupants of aircraft cabins are exposed to organo-phosphate compounds with consequential damage to their health. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to British Airways Plc; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Health impairment of aircraft controllers endangering aircraft occupants
Wider context from the report
“(3) That impairment to the health of those controlling aircraft may lead to the death of occupants. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to British Airways Plc; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Presence of organo-phosphate compounds in aircraft cabin air
Wider context from the report
“(1) That organo-phosphate compounds are present in aircraft cabin air. ”
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Maintain a system for monitoring cabin-air contamination events.

Verbatim wording from the response
“BA follows the guidance and legislation to which it is subject. BA keeps abreast of research in this area, and has in place a system of monitoring such events.”

Source location
2015-0050-Response-by-British-Airways-Plc
Page 1 · response
Published 16 February 2015
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Existing government and regulatory guidance, compliance with legislation, research monitoring and event monitoring are considered sufficient.

Verbatim wording from the response
“The Matters of Concern in the Report to Prevent Future Deaths have been fully dealt with by official Government and regulatory bodies. They have studied the issue of cabin air contamination, and have provided guidance for airlines (including BA) to follow. The evidence does not support the conclusion that there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken. The most recent example of such advice may be found in the Committee on Toxicity’s (“COT”) Position Paper on Cabin Air in 2013.”

Source location
2015-0050-Response-by-British-Airways-Plc
Page 1 · response
Published 16 February 2015
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Available evidence does not support a risk of future deaths from cabin air contamination requiring further action.

Verbatim wording from the response
“The Matters of Concern in the Report to Prevent Future Deaths have been fully dealt with by official Government and regulatory bodies. They have studied the issue of cabin air contamination, and have provided guidance for airlines (including BA) to follow. The evidence does not support the conclusion that there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken. The most recent example of such advice may be found in the Committee on Toxicity’s (“COT”) Position Paper on Cabin Air in 2013.”

Source location
2015-0050-Response-by-British-Airways-Plc
Page 1 · response
Published 16 February 2015
Open published response

Information checked against published PFD reports and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026

Reports, concerns and published responses

Reports over time

Concerns raised5

Failure to account for genetic variation in susceptibility to exposure

Lack of real-time monitoring for organo-phosphate compounds in cabin air

Exposure of aircraft cabin occupants to organo-phosphate compounds causing health damage

Health impairment of aircraft controllers endangering aircraft occupants

Presence of organo-phosphate compounds in aircraft cabin air

Actions described in response An action is something this recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1

Respondent positions A position is what this recipient says about the concern when it does not describe a specific action.2

Actions described in response 1

Respondent positions 2