THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE
Center for Health, People, and Places
Committee on Assessing Radiation Exposure, Health Outcomes, and Mitigation Strategies
for Flight Crewmembers
*****
Congressional Briefing
Thursday, June 11, 2026 – 12:00 p.m.
via Zoom
on
Assessing Radiation Exposure, Health Outcomes, and Mitigation Strategies
for Flight Crewmembers
Requested by Congress in P.L. 118-63, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, this report examines scientific evidence related to occupational radiation exposure among flight crews, evaluates radiation dose estimation models, assesses the feasibility of future epidemiologic studies, and identifies opportunities to strengthen monitoring, communication, and mitigation strategies. A key message from this report is that radiation exposure in aviation warrants attention as an occupational hazard. Estimated annual occupational doses for flight crew generally fall well below recommended limits; however, exposures over a career and cumulative dose received warrant monitoring and tracking. Additionally, the tools for monitoring exposure and educating workers are already available but are not uniformly utilized or deployed.
The report presents a coordinated path forward for improving occupational radiation safety in commercial aviation. Recommendations include implementing structured radiation safety programs, developing a centralized dose-tracking system for flight crew, improving communication and considerations for pregnant workers, strengthening radiation dose estimation models, and supporting long-term research infrastructure. These actions would help airlines, regulators, and flight crewmembers better understand and manage cumulative radiation dose received over a flight crewmember's career.
The report highlights can be found here.
This briefing was for members of Congress and congressional staff only. The report was publicly released on June 12, 2026 and can be found, in its entirety, on the Web site of the National Academies Press.