As airlines anticipate a busy holiday season, airline workers worry about their safety. Sara Nelson of the Association of Flight Attendants appealed to Congress to help protect them against violent passengers.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Nelson said: “Flight attendants are begging, ‘Make it stop’”. The Federal Aviation Administration received more than 5,100 reported cases of unruly passengers for this year alone. According to the FAA, more than 70% of cases involved mask rules. And of all the cases, as of November 9, the agency only filed 239 enforcement cases.
The FAA adopted a zero-tolerance policy on unruly passengers in January. Unfortunately, the numbers remain high.
Aside from flight attendants, other airline workers are also calling for lawmakers and the justice department to act. At the Tuesday hearing, John Samuelsen, the international president of the Transportation Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO said that “More has to be done to combat this dangerous behavior”. He added that the agency only recommended 37 cases for criminal prosecution.
Violent Passengers and Staffing Shortages
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman agreed that more should be done saying “violators must be held accountable”.
In a survey conducted by the Association of Flight Attendants, more than 85% of the respondents dealt with unruly passengers in the first half of 2021. 58% had at least five incidents this year. And on top of that, 17% reported a physical incident.
Apart from the anticipated influx of travelers this holiday season, some union leaders are also concerned about staffing shortages. With vaccine mandates, it could potentially worsen the current manpower situation in airports and airlines.
AFL-CIO President Everett Kelly said that “TSA must staff adequately”. Kelly also added that only around 60% of TSA staff today completed their COVID19 vaccine doses. According to Kelly, the federal government should delay the vaccine mandate deadline to help improve the vaccination rate.
Kelly said that “(An extension) till Jan. 4 will provide consistency and fairness”.
