2.18.22 – APFA Continues Push For Federal No-Fly List For Disruptive Passengers

Friday, February 18, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Paul Hartshorn, Jr.
[email protected]

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants Continues Push for Federal No-Fly List for Disruptive Passengers

(Euless, TX) – In the past week alone, Flight Attendants at American have experienced two separate, dangerous disruptive passenger incidents that caused both flights to divert to airports other than their intended destination. Flight Attendants are concerned for the safety of our passengers and crew and never know what to expect when the aircraft takes off. The position of our Union has been clear and consistent: We must ensure these offenders face prosecution to the full extent of the law with appropriate fines, criminal penalties, and applicable flying bans.

APFA, in collaboration with other Flight Attendant Unions, has been pushing for a federal “no-fly” list to protect our Flight Attendants and passengers from the small number of people who threaten to hurt our crews and other passengers.

Eight senators, including Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Rick Scott (R-FL), all of whom represent large numbers of American Flight Attendants at crew bases in Dallas/ Ft. Worth and Miami, sent a letter to DOT Secretary Buttigieg in opposition to the creation of a federal “no-fly” list, leaving our crews at risk.

“Flight Attendants continue to face physical and verbal abuse, and we cannot sit by and allow these offenders to commit these dangerous acts from airline to airline. This behavior must stop. We need the added accountability of a federal ‘no-fly” list to protect all crewmembers and passengers across the industry,” said APFA National President Julie Hedrick.