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American Airlines is indefinitely suspending flights to Venezuela as political turmoil and unrest continues to grip the country. An Airline spokeswoman said Thursday that the airline will try to resume service when conditions are right but has no timetable for doing so. March 15, American announced it was suspending its 2 daily flights from Miami to Caracas and 1 from Miami to Maracaibo through April 1. The airline acted after its pilots' union told members not to operate flights to Venezuela because of safety concerns. American was the last US airline flying to Venezuela. The US was the first nation to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president, heightening tension with the regime of president Nicolas Maduro. US diplomats left the country this month. <br/>

Some 51 pilots and cabin crew in the UK have initiated legal action against 5 airlines over claims they have been poisoned by toxic cabin air, a union has said. Union Unite said it had independent expert evidence that the air in most commercial airline cabins can cause irreversible neurological damage and chronic illness among susceptible individuals. The expert evidence will be presented in 51 court cases involving staff working for British Airways, EasyJet, Thomas Cook, Virgin Atlantic and Jet2. Oxygen is taken into the cabin through the engine system in most aircraft. This contains a mix of toxic compounds including organophosphates and TCP, Unite claims. BA responded: “None of the substantial research conducted over many years into cabin air quality has shown that exposure to cabin air causes long-term ill health”. <br/>