Flight Attendants Accuse Airline of Loose COVID-19 Protocols

Several United Airlines flight attendants are accusing the carrier of instructing them to continue working even after coming in contact with colleagues who tested positive for COVID-19.

According to Reuters.com, United employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the policy of not quarantining attendants who have worked with other infected colleagues is “unsafe” and gives them a sense of “unease.”

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The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) represents United employees and said the group has also received complaints about loose quarantine and contract tracing protocols enforced by several carriers.

“We’ve received concerns about quarantine protocols from flight attendants across the industry from carriers we represent and where we’re organizing,” AFA spokeswoman Taylor Garland told Reuters.

When asked to explain its current policies, United officials told Reuters the airline follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on quarantines for “close contacts,” but did not deny allowing employees to continue working after a colleague tests positive for coronavirus.

“If a flight attendant or pilot meets the criteria, we ask them to quarantine,” United spokeswoman Leslie Scott said. “If not, they are instructed to self-monitor.”

Scott also said the airline follows the FAA’s Safety Alert for Operators, which states, “crew members with known exposure to COVID-19 should not work until 14 days after the last potential exposure.”

Other carriers, such as American Airlines, immediately remove all crew members from service when they have worked with an infected person. The lack of government mandates on the topic has created inconsistent safety protocols.