Flight Attendant Union President Responds to FAA Forming Safety Review Team

Sara Nelson, the President of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) union, which represents more than 50,000 members, has responded to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) announcement that it will form a team of experts to review airline safety in the wake of multiple near-miss incidents.

It’s already safe, she said.

“U.S. aviation is the safest transportation system in the world,” Nelson said in a statement. “But, we cannot ever rest and we must always put safety first.”

The FAA recently called for added safety measures following a string of incidents at airports in which planes almost collided.

“It takes constant vigilance and engagement of all stakeholders in our collective responsibility to safety,” Nelson added. “We applaud Federal Aviation Administrator Acting Administrator Bill Nolen for this call to action. AFA will be an active participant in the Safety Call to Action Summit, just like we put safety first every day on the job.”

Two planes nearly collided at New York City’s JFK Airport last month when an American Airlines plane unexpectedly taxied in front of a Delta Air Lines aircraft that was about to begin its takeoff run.

That incident prompted an FAA investigation and came just one month after a United Airlines flight plunged from some 2,200 feet to just 775 feet above the Pacific Ocean before correcting its course en route from Maui to San Francisco.