FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — American Airlines faces a small fine after federal officials ruled the airline was retaliating against flight attendants who complained that jet fuel fumes were leaking into aircraft cabins.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration offered the airline a $6,837 fine following an investigation launched in August. Flight attendants who complained of illness said the airline had closed service points and discouraged them from reporting incidents.
The American did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. The airline has 15 business days after Wednesday’s OSHA decision to appeal the fine.
Timothy Minor, regional director of the federal agency in Fort Worth, said flight attendants have the right to report exhaust-related illnesses.
“Workers should feel empowered to inform managers and others of potential hazards that endanger the safety and health of workers,” Minor said in a statement.
OSHA did not immediately provide more details about its investigation.
Airline unions have complained for years that flight attendants are exposed to toxic fumes from jet fuel, oil and other substances. Airlines are not required to report smoke incidents to passengers, and the government does not track how often such incidents occur.
In 2020, the Los Angeles Times reported that airlines have been asking Boeing to install airborne sensors on their aircraft for years. The aircraft manufacturer is fighting back because it fears that information from the sensors could help crew and passengers in lawsuits and lead to sensors being required on all planes, the paper said.
Last year, several Democrats in Congress introduced union-backed legislation requiring airlines to install air monitoring equipment on aircraft and requiring the Federal Aviation Administration to monitor and report the number of smoke incidents reported by airline crews. The law died without a vote.
