Flight Attendants Are Concerned Every Day at Work, Union President Says

Sara Nelson, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants Union, said this week that the continued rise in mask-related conflicts between crew and passengers has resulted in a culture of fear.

“We’re concerned every single day when we go to work and put that uniform on, are we the target and going to be punched in the face today?” Nelson told CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ on Monday.

The Transportation Security Administration announced Thursday it would double fines for passengers who refuse to comply with the federal mask mandate for air travel, but it remains to be seen how much compliance there will be.

The mask mandate has been extended to February of 2022, but according to new survey this month, 61 percent of Americans are asking for a vaccination mandate for air travel.

Nelson said on “Squawk Box” that flight attendants “overwhelmingly” support vaccine mandates but added that companies would have to include religious and medical exemptions.

The Federal Aviation Administration said July 7 that mask requirements comprised 75 percent of its unruly passenger complaints since the start of 2021.

Under the TSA’s revised fee structure for those who disobey mask mandates, first offenders will face a $500 fine. The agency will levy a $3,000 penalty on anyone who violates the mandate more than once.

United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines mandated vaccines for their employees in August, while Frontier Airlines and Alaska Airlines have implemented Covid testing requirements for all unvaccinated personnel.

“Everyone has got to be vaccinated, and that’s the only way that we’re going to end this pandemic,” Nelson said. “That’s the only way we’re going to get back to the freedoms that we enjoyed before it started.”