Report: FAA, Airlines Must Do More to Protect Crews From Radiation

Doses are low on individual flights, but additional research is needed to understand health impacts from exposure.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at 01:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A new report urges the FAA and airlines to improve testing, monitoring, and education around in-flight radiation exposure. [Credit: iStock]

Key Takeaways:

A recent congressionally mandated report urges the FAA and airlines to enhance protection for aircrews from cosmic radiation, recommending its classification as an "occupational hazard."
The report identifies current radiation monitoring, communication, and protection for flight crews as inconsistent and insufficient, noting aircrews have fewer safeguards despite high occupational exposure.
Key recommendations include requiring airlines to adopt radiation safety programs, enhancing FAA's dose modeling, and establishing a standardized system for tracking individual crewmembers' cumulative radiation exposure over their careers.

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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.