The AFA is working with airlines to ensure employees’ safety and support members and their families.
What We Know:
- The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA issued an announcement that calls for the participants in Wednesday’s riot on the Capitol to be prohibited from future flights. “Air travel is safe because everyone obeys a stringent set of rules, based on the spirit that ‘we are all in this together,” expressed AFA President Sara Nelson in a statement.
“The mob mentality behavior that took place on several flights to the D.C. area yesterday was unacceptable and threatened the safety and security of every single person on board. It will not happen again. There’s a reason that there are strict penalties and fines for failing to comply with crewmember instructions. Enforcement keeps everyone safe.”
- The union consists of representing almost 50,000 flight attendants at 17 different airlines. The notice was published on the day of the riots in the capital city. Many participants journeyed by air to arrive at the District and create violence.
- Social media posts demonstrated passengers wearing Pro-Trump clothing causing disturbances on aircraft to Washington D.C. a staff photographer for the Washington Post, Jabin Botsford, shared a video of various people being removed from a flight.
Two people removed so far from tonight’s flight to DC ahead of the #StopTheSteaI2021 rallies tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/lvXlYiD2Xd
— Jabin Botsford (@jabinbotsford) January 6, 2021
- In the statement, Nelson mentioned the necessity to put safety first, naming the individuals who participated in disturbance as undeserving of flight rights.
- “Our first, top priority in aviation safety and security is to keep any problems on the ground. Some of the people who traveled in our planes yesterday participated in the insurrection at the Capitol today,” Nelson states. “Their violent and seditious actions at the Capitol today create further concern about their departure from the D.C. area. Acts against our democracy, our government, and the freedom we claim as Americans must disqualify these individuals from the freedom of flight.”
The company stated that it is working with the airlines to affirm crew members’ safety and provide union members and families with extra support.
