Flight attendants could get Tasers, says union boss

Flight attendants could be given Tasers in the US according to one union boss. Photo / 123rf

The discussion about issuing Tasers to flight attendants needs to start back up, according to a US union boss.

Speaking a recent case where a United Airlines passenger assaulted a flight attendant and threatened to “kill every man on this plane”, the head of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) union, Sara Nelson, told CNN they were considering how to best help airline crew.

“There has been a lot of discussion about whether flight attendants should have Tasers. I think we need to look at that discussion again,” Nelson said.

“And flight attendants need to be given the training we were supposed to have right after 9/11, which is crew member self-defence training.”

Almost 50,000 flight attendants across 19 different airlines are represented by AFA-CWA.

Nelson also supported the idea of a national banned passenger list.

Individual airlines have lists of passengers who are prohibited from flying, however, this is not shared between airlines. This means a dangerous passenger could take their unruly behaviour to another carrier if they are banned.

Nelson said staffing cuts across airlines have also made flight attendants’ jobs harder.

“We have not only been aviation’s first responders, responding to emergencies and the health of passengers on board but, since 9/11, we’ve also been aviation’s last line of defence,” she said.

“And with the rise of violent events on our planes, it is time to renew this discussion about making sure this is a mandatory part of our training, that there is a passenger ban list across the industry that the federal government controls, that includes a due process so we’re not violating people’s civil liberties, and you have a way to get off if you’re improving your behaviour and getting better.”

Nelson said this could be better managed by the federal government and shared among the industry, so dangerous people are not allowed back onto planes. She acknowledged these were “severe consequences” but were necessary to be an effective deterrent.

A statement from AFA-CWA, about a recent passenger being charged for dangerous behaviour, supported this approach.

“Violence has no place anywhere and certainly not in a closed cabin flying several miles in the air. Aviation’s first responders are charged with the safety of everyone onboard.”

“When incidents like this happen, it not only risks the safety of the crew involved, it takes away from flight attendants’ ability to respond to medical, safety, or security emergencies. Bottom line: it puts everyone at risk and there’s zero tolerance for that.

“This is another example of the urgent need for a national banned disruptive passenger list. We call on Congress to pass the Protection from Abusive Passengers Act.”