Frontier Airlines Class Action Lawsuit Says Airbus Cabin Air is Toxic

A class action lawsuit against Frontier Airlines claims the cabin air in Airbus SAS planes is toxic because the planes do not properly filter outside air before cycling it through the cabin.

Plaintiff Andrea Ridgell says she took a Frontier Airlines flight in June 2017, and rode in an Airbus plane.

She claims that numerous passengers experienced physical symptoms as a result of the poor air quality of the plane, including passing out, coughing, and eye irritation.

This necessitated an emergency landing so that patients could be hospitalized or examined by medical professionals, the Frontier Airlines class action lawsuit states.

Allegedly, these symptoms that passengers experienced were caused by toxins in the cabin air.

The Frontier air quality class action lawsuit claims that the Airbus draws air in from the outside and from other parts of the airplane, and that that air contains toxins. Allegedly, these toxins include hydraulic fluid, engine oil, and byproducts.

The Frontier Airbus class action lawsuit argues that these toxins should be filtered out before the air is combined with existing cabin air, but in the case of the Airbus, it was not, so passengers were exposed to numerous toxins in the small, confined space of the airplane cabin.

Ridgell’s Frontier airplane air class action lawsuit claims that it is well established that exposure to the toxins in the “bleed air,” or unfiltered air from outside of the airplane, can cause a number of symptoms, including headaches, dizziness, and temporary or chronic respiratory problems. The plaintiff says that “inhaling toxic cabin air can cause short-term or transient symptoms as well as permanent and serious personal injury.”

The Frontier Airlines class action lawsuit goes on to allege that thousands of passengers may have been similarly injured, because all Airbus planes may contain the similar dysfunction in their air filtration systems.

Ridgell seeks to represent two Classes of passengers — one Class of passengers who were with her on the June 2017 flight, and another Class of passengers around the country who have been exposed to toxic air on a Frontier flight. Ridgell seeks damages for herself and all similarly affected Frontier passengers.

The Frontier air bleed class action lawsuit goes on to claim that Frontier intentionally did not warn passengers of the potential side effects of being exposed to toxins in an air bleed.

Additionally, the plaintiff claims that the company did not explore other air filtration systems when they knew that the filtration was insufficient, thereby knowingly continuing to expose passengers to toxins.

According to the Frontier class action lawsuit, “this intentional concealment has prevented [Ridgell] and the proposed class from making informed decisions on whether to fly on this airline or evaluate alternative means of transportation to minimize their exposure to chemicals.”

Based on these claims, the plaintiff says Frontier breached its warranty, negligently inflicted emotional distress, and falsely imprisoned its passengers. She also alleges negligence and strict products liability.

Ridgell is represented by Marcus J. Bradley and Kiley L. Grombacher of Bradley Grombacher LLP and Kristin D. Rothschild and Julian Alwill of Rothschild & Alwill APC.

The Frontier Airlines Airbus Air Quality Class Action Lawsuit is Andrea Ridgell v. Frontier Airlines Inc., et al., Case No. 2:18-cv-04916, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.