4 Jetstar Crew Hospitalized After Airbus A320 Unusual Smell

Four Jetstar flight attendants were hospitalized after reporting an unusual smell on a flight from the Gold Coast to Cairns this morning. The incident occurred on Jetstar flight JQ966, which departed from Queensland's Gold Coast Airport (OOL) at 06:47 and landed at Cairns Airport (CNS) at 09:00.

The unusual aspect of this incident is that only the four flight attendants reported the smell and felt unwell, while neither the pilots nor any passengers noticed anything unusual. The aircraft, an Airbus A320-200 registered VH-VQA, has been part of the Jetstar fleet since February 2009.

Jetstar, a member of the Qantas Group, responded to inquiries by confirming that the four cabin crew members experienced an unusual smell and began feeling unwell during the flight. They were assessed by paramedics upon landing and taken to the hospital for observation. The airline assured that the aircraft landed normally and no passengers were affected. The A320 has been grounded for a thorough inspection by Jetstar's engineers.

Interestingly, this aircraft has not operated any flights since landing in Cairns, which is unusual compared to its typical schedule. For instance, on May 25, a similar Jetstar A320 operated multiple flights after completing JQ966, indicating the current grounding is out of the ordinary.

According to Jetstar, after disembarking, one crew member felt faint and was supported by another to prevent her from falling. All four flight attendants were treated with oxygen before being transported to Cairns Hospital in stable condition. A spokesperson from the Queensland Ambulance Service confirmed that the crew members suffered symptoms including nausea and headaches due to exposure to fumes.

Aircraft fume events, although rare, can be serious. A study by the US Federal Aviation Authority cited in a Simple Flying article from November 2023 indicated that fume events affect about 1 in every 5,000 flights. Notably, in October 2022, British Airways reported three separate fume events involving their aircraft.

Jetstar has not provided further updates on the health of the affected crew members. The situation is being closely monitored, and any new developments will be reported as they arise.