AN American Airlines flight attendant claimed she was wasn’t allowed to wear a face shield while because it didn’t fit in with their “image standards,” reports said.
The essential worker, 33, from Worchester, Massachusetts, donned a $8 plastic face shield on a few flights since returning to work on May 2 to stop the spread of COVID-19.
She shared a selfie onboard a flight from Boston to Dallas– wearing the shield over an N95 mask – on social media.
Masked “Marie” explained that it was her first flight back after a month of cancelled trips in the post.
But according to the Boston Globe, she was told masks weren’t a part of American Airlines’ “image standards” and that passengers wouldn’t like to see attendants wearing them.
Marie’s supervisors even suggested going on leave if she wasn’t feeling safe on their aircraft.
The devastated worker said she was upset, crying on the way home, but kept her PPE on regardless.
Last week, the carrier reportedly informed flight attendants that the face shields “could pose a safety hazard” and they were promptly banned from wearing them.
FACE SHIELD BAN
“The FAA has not approved them for regular use onboard our aircraft, and the CDC does not recommend them,” the ban read.
“No other US carriers permit flight attendants to wear face shields during regular flight operations.”
Marie wanted to wear on to try and prevent the rapid spread of the deadly bug in confined spaces like planes.
But the carrier stuck by their decision, citing federal guidelines.
“The CDC does not recommend using a face shield along with a face covering,” an American Airlines spokesperson told The Sun on Thursday night.
“We’ll continue to study this issue, but our current standard is for flight crews to wear face coverings and to follow other important procedures such as frequent hand-washing as the most effective ways to stay safe.”
‘DEVASTATING SECOND WAVE’
Marie did not agree with their assessment and said it was dangerous not to wear one “for every second we’re on a plane.”
“Carriers like mine are going to create another devastating second wave of this deadly virus because we are not being given appropriate PPE to wear,” she told the newspaper. “I can see this virus spreading like wildfire throughout the cabin.”
Louis Mendes Paiva, a systems engineer from Weymouth, flew with Marie from Boston to Charlotte last week, and also wears a mask.
“They should be encouraged to wear as much safety PPE as possible,” he said.
The FAA previously said it didn’t need to pre-approve the PPE worn by flight attendant if it didn’t impede them from performing tasks related to safety.
TALKS BEGIN
“Although the FAA’s statutory authority is to regulate the safe operation of civil aircraft, we are lending aviation expertise to federal public health agencies and airlines as they issue guidance for crew members, including health monitoring, screening protocols and aircraft cleaning,” a representative told the Sun on Friday.
The agency referred to their Safety Alert for Operators guidelines and CDC advice “that air carriers and crew members should follow.”
After Marie shared her story, The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) said it “is working with the company now on this issue” and is in talks with American airlines about safety glasses.
A copy of an email sent by the union’s safety chair, Thomas Houdek, reportedly said Marie’s “derogatory postings” had “predetermined the outcome of this case.”
“It probably would not have become an issue if she had just worn it in flight and didn’t call attention to herself by postings on social media,” Houdek said.
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Nevertheless, Marie planned to wear her shield inside the terminal on Thursday and replacing it with goggles when she stepped onto the plane to stop the potential spread.
“The number one priority is safety,” she said. “Safety! That’s what our job is for. I want to stop a second big wave of this virus from taking innocent lives if I can.”
The Sun has contacted the AFPA and FAA for comment.
