Flight Attendants Union Coalition Blasts TSA Decision To Allow Dangerous Items Onto Aircraft

WASHINGTON, March 5, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Flight Attendants Union Coalition, representing nearly 90,000 Flight Attendants at carriers nationwide, issued the following statement blasting today's announcement by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to allow knives and other dangerous objects into the aircraft cabin, relaxing an over decade long ban.

"Today's announcement to permit knives back into the aircraft cabin is a poor and shortsighted decision by the TSA. Continued prohibition of these items is an integral layer in making our aviation system secure and must remain in place.

"As the last line of defense in the cabin and key aviation partners, we believe that these proposed changes will further endanger the lives of all Flight Attendants and the passengers we work so hard to keep safe and secure.

"Flight Attendants are the front line safety and security professionals onboard every commercial passenger aircraft in this country and must be given the tools and training to protect ourselves, our passengers and the aircraft. Despite repeated requests for updated training to include basic self-defense maneuvers to allow us to defend ourselves, Flight Attendants still do not receive mandatory training about how to effectively recognize and defend others against attacks aboard the aircraft."

Media Contacts: Contact: Corey Caldwell , AFA-CWA, ccaldwell@cwa-union.org, 202-434-0586; Jamie Horwitz , TWU, media@twu.org; Leslie Mayo , APFA, communications@apfa.org; James Carlson , IAM, jcarlson@iamaw.org; Galen Munroe , IBT, gmunroe@teamster.org.

The Coalition of Flight Attendant Unions coordinates on issues of mutual interest to Flight Attendants. Members of the are the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Association of Professional Flight Attendants, Transport Workers Union, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

SOURCE Association of Flight Attendants