Tue, Jul 10, 2007
Carrier Wants FAs To Perform Additional Duties While At
Gate
Southwest Airlines recently won an appeal with the Federal
Aviation Administration, and gained approval for its flight
attendants to leave an aircraft during stops.
The low-fare, Dallas-based carrier wants its flight attendants
to perform additional duties during stops, such as assisting
passengers in wheelchairs to keep ground times short, a key to
profits.
The carrier says the move will help avoid cost increases.
An FAA manager decided in April 2006 all flight attendants
-- there are usually three on a Southwest flight -- must
remain on board an aircraft during stops. SWA said last year its
flight attendants left the aircraft anyway, while the decision was
in the appeals process, according to Bloomberg News.
Southwest was not without its allies, either. Four major
carriers, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, US Airways and
AirTran not only backed SWA, but said they wanted to adopt the
practice, as well.
The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association and the Transport
Workers Union (representing the carriers' attendants) both backed
the appeal while the Association of Flight Attendants and Air Line
Pilots Association opposed the appeal and decision reversal.
SWA says that had it lost the appeal, it would have had to raise
its fares to offset the higher cost of the resultant increased
ground times.
Under the permission, two attendants can leave the plane during
passengers' exit, and one can be away during boarding.
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