American Airlines flight attendants have sent a letter to Boeing Co., warning the airplane manufacturer that it would refuse to board a plane en masse - 28,000 members strong - if they feel a plane is unsafe.
The letter was sent from the union representing the flight attendants. The impetus is the ongoing issues with Boeing's 737 Max plane, which has been grounded since March after two separate fatal crashes killed 346 passengers and crew.
"The stakes could not be higher. Our lives are not for sale," Lori Bassani, the president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, wrote in a letter to Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg.
Muilenburg was in front of Congress earlier this week and testified that the 737 production line was working at a "high rate" at the time of the first crash in October 2018. Worse, Muilenburg admitted that Boeing continued manufacturing the aircraft even after workers made their safety concerns aware.
"The 28,000 flight attendants working for American Airlines refuse to walk onto a plane that may not be safe and are calling for the highest possible safety standards to avoid another tragedy," Bassani wrote, noting that Muilenburg's testimony made clear "there were serious breakdowns in the supervision of the 737 MAX. ... I know after two days of very tough hearings you understand the deep concerns that remain regarding the relaunch of the 737 MAX."
Boeing announced last month it expects to return the embattled plane to service on Jan. 16, but previous dates to get back in the air have come and gone as the company continues to seek Federal Aviation Administration re-certification.
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