AFA Statement on LAX-BOS United Incident
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 6, 2023) — The Department of Justice today charged a passenger for allegedly attempting to open an emergency exit door while aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston and then allegedly attempting to stab a flight attendant in the neck. AFA President Sara Nelson released the following statement:
“Our union is proud of the crew of United Flight 2609 and relieved that no one sustained life-threatening physical injuries.
“Violence has no place anywhere and certainly not in a closed cabin flying several miles in the air. Aviation's first responders are charged with the safety of everyone onboard. When incidents like this happen, it not only risks the safety of the crew involved, it takes away from Flight Attendants' ability to respond to medical, safety, or security emergencies. Bottom line: it puts everyone at risk and there’s zero tolerance for that.
"We’re thankful for the FBI's quick action on this. This is another example of the urgent need for a national banned disruptive passenger list. We call on Congress to pass the Protection from Abusive Passengers Act.”
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The Association of Flight Attendants is the Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for over 75 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working conditions. Nearly 50,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org.
