Cabin Crew Safety Actions
In the light of the two recent aviation incidents involving a Japan Airlines and an Alaska Airlines flights, EurECCA, the European Cabin Crew Association, deserves its utmost respect and gratitude to the cabin crew of these two airlines for their exemplary professionalism and composure under such stressful and emergencies circumstances.
It is paramount to underscore the invaluable role of cabin crew in ensuring passenger safety. These events stand as testament to the professionalism, calm under pressure, and expert training of the cabin crew members on board facing such situations.
At Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, the Japan Airlines flight, carrying 379 passengers, collided with a coast guard plane on the runway and burst into flames. Despite the challenging circumstances, including a smoke-filled cabin and a malfunctioning intercom system, the JAL cabin crew led a successful evacuation. Their quick thinking and actions to use alternative exits and guide passengers down inflatable slides onto the tarmac was crucial in ensuring everyone’s safety. Impressively, the evacuation was completed in just 18 minutes, a remarkable feat given the dire situation.
This incident, along with the Alaska Airlines flight with an emergency exit ripped off, highlights the critical importance of cabin crew in emergency situations. Their actions go beyond the routine responsibilities of passenger’s inflight service. They prove that we are trained professionals, equipped with the skills to handle extreme situations, under the most stressful circumstances, safeguarding the lives of passengers and crew alike.
However, these events also bring to light EurECCA’s priorities issues within the aviation industry. Concerns such as cabin crew fatigue, unfair working conditions, non-respect of just culture schemes, and atypical forms of employment (including wet-leasing, bogus self-employment, posting of the workers and temporary agencies) pose significant risks. These challenges are not mere policy issues; they are factors that could critically impact the ability of cabin crew members to respond effectively emergency situations. According to EurECCA, it is more than crucial that these issues are addressed proactively at the European level with urgent attention and action to maintain and to enhance safety standards.
These events serve as a powerful reminder of the essential role cabin crew members play in ensuring flight safety, saving lives, and avoiding potential tragedies and disasters.
Let us all work together to ensure that air travel continues to be one of the safest modes of transportation.
Flying together – Protecting each other
Sincerely,
EurECCA Team
