The reason why you should not use PAM in an air fryer is because the PAM can damage the non stick coating of the air fryer and leave a sticky residue in the air fryer.
PAM spray contains lecithin which can build up and degrade the non stick surface and make it less effective and even difficult to clean.
Other cooking sprays also contain lecithin which can also cause the same issues in the air fryer.
The lecithin acts as an emulsifier and over time the the lecithin can adhere to the non stick surfaces of the air fryer and create a sticky and hard to remove residue.
The non stick coating can flake off and render the air fryer unusable.
Instead of using PAM in your air fryer you can use a non aerosol cooking oil in a pump sprayer such as coconut oil or avocado oil.
You can spray the food directly with the PAM but but you shouldn't spray the non stick cooking surface of the air fryer.
You can make your own cooking spray using a pump sprayer and any of your preferred cooking oil such as avocado oil or coconut oil.
You can also buy some cooking sprays that don't contain lecithin.
You can also add some parchment paper to the bottom of the air fryer basket to make cleanup easier.
Adding some foil and or parchment paper makes for easy cleanup in your air fryer.