by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 10:15 AM ET, Fri August 18, 2017
One of Asia's biggest airlines is training staff to fight human trafficking.
AirAsia will be among the first on the continent to help crack down on the global crime, according to a Reuters report.
The airline's effort comes at a time when an estimated 46 million people are living in slavery and the industry's profits are about $150 billion.
The involvement of airlines is critical, as planes are a big part of how the illegal business functions, the story reported. Thousands of children and other vulnerable people are transported via plane each year by criminal gangs. The captive travelers are taken to places where they become sex workers, domestic helpers or forced labor.
Airlines have been called upon by the United Nations to get involved and help identify traffickers.
Based in Kuala Lumpur, AirAsia flies millions of passengers annually to more than 110 destinations. Because of this, the airline is planning to train 5,000-10,000 staff members to identify the tell tale signs of trafficking.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Flight Attendant Rescues Human Trafficking Victim[/READMORE]
Some of the signs include young women or children who appear to be under the control of others or who act frightened, ashamed or nervous, according to Reuters.
"We like to be able to have our staff know what to do if somebody comes up to them and says 'I need help'," Yap Mun Ching, executive director of the AirAsia Foundation, said.
The training is being conducted by the U.S.-based Airline Ambassadors International, an organization founded by a former flight attendant. It is taking place in the airline's four main hubs - Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta, and Manila.
In the United States, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 2,000 human traffickers and identified 400 victims last year, according to an NBC News report.
As part of a program that began in 2013, more than 70,000 U.S. airline staff have gone through such training.
It is in Asia however, that some of the worst trafficking occurs.
The United States has listed countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos on trafficking watch lists because they do not meet the minimum standards needed to end the problem.
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