A congressionally mandated report published this month concludes that the FAA and airlines should do more to protect pilots, flight attendants, and other crewmembers from natural radiation exposure on the job.
The report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)—sponsored by the Transportation Department and required by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024—calls on the agency to classify in-flight cosmic radiation exposure as an “occupational hazard” and improve testing, monitoring, and education for aircrews.
