Bug-spray passengers lining up to sue

By SCOTT MacLEOD transport reporter

Travellers who claim they became sick from bug-killers sprayed in aircraft that fly to New Zealand and Australia are poised to sue a United States airline.

A lawyer for the first claimants says thousands of other travellers may be lining up for compensation.

The Herald earlier reported that flight attendants were suing United Airlines, but the new action is the first big legal move by passengers.

The class action, to be filed in Chicago's Cook County Circuit Court this week, also aims to force United to tell passengers when they are flying in treated aircraft, and to stop the spraying altogether unless it can be proven to be safe.

Perry Sanders jun, of law firm Sanders Crochet and Chism, said the first case related to Sharon Dorazio, her husband and teenage grandsons flying from Australia to the US.

An hour into the flight, Ms Dorazio and the teenagers started suffering headaches, nausea and vomiting. A flight attendant told Ms Dorazio that the plane had been sprayed with pesticide before it left Sydney.

The sick woman could smell the spray in an open galley compartment. Several other passengers had similar reactions on the flight.

Mr Sanders said it was United's policy not to tell passengers about spraying. The bug-killer was sprayed by contractors wearing protective gear just hours before passengers and crew boarded for the 14-hour trip across the Pacific.

When asked how many passengers could end up suing United, Mr Sanders said: "We estimate that several hundred thousand passengers will be included in the class."

The civil action comes as United staff member Susan Matthews of Colorado seeks $US50,000 ($114,000) for having to work in cabins sprayed to meet New Zealand and Australian biosecurity laws.

New Zealand, Australia and some smaller destinations force all incoming aircraft to be sprayed for bugs with either an eight-week residual spray containing 2 per cent permethrin or an in-flight spray with 2 per cent phenothrin.

US flight attendants say the sprays also contain dangerous xylene and benzene, and the residue can be absorbed through the skin or stomach if food is prepared on sticky galley counters.

New Zealand flight attendants and poisons experts believe the sprays are safe, and travel consultants here say they have dealt with thousands of passengers with no complaints.

United says it has "the full assurance of the NZ and Australian authorities, plus the World Health Organisation", that the spray is safe.