American Fires Flight Attendant After Mid-Flight Assault: I Really feel Unhealthy

A former American Airways flight attendant is preventing to get his job again, after he was assaulted mid-flight, as reported by WSOC-TV, and flagged by View from the Wing. There are nonetheless some questions, although irrespective of the way you slice it, I really feel unhealthy for this man.

American flight attendant assaulted on Las Vegas flight

This incident initially dates again to December 31, 2023, when former American flight attendant Tillman Robinson was working flight AA2470 from Charlotte (CLT) to Las Vegas (LAS). He had been on the airline for 25 years, and had a spotless report up till this level.

Whereas working this flight, he was attacked by a 25-year-old passenger. The passenger was cited for assault, and later accomplished anger administration, which resulted in his report being cleaned.

As Robinson describes this incident, “he begins placing his finger in my face, he begins yelling expletives, then he pushes me, after which he begins taking swings.” Sooner or later after the flight, Robinson was suspended, after which 10 months later, he was in the end fired, a call that shocked him.

Robinson states that his union has been working to get him rehired, however to date, efforts haven’t been profitable. Robinson believes he was penalized for defending himself in the course of the altercation, saying, “it begins with asking folks to step again, transfer away, flip round, and stroll away when they’re making an attempt to strike at you.” He says he used all of the coaching he was offered by the airline to guard himself. The 51-year-old is now anxious about how he’s going to pay his payments, and a GoFundMe has even been arrange for him.

American launched the next assertion about his incident:

“We take these issues extremely critically. After conducting a radical inner investigation, it was decided the previous staff member acted in a fashion inconsistent with our expectations and outlined insurance policies — previous to the altercation and all through.”

Regardless of the way you slice it, I really feel unhealthy for this man

Primarily based on watching an interview with Robinson, he looks like a extremely nice man. I really requested an American flight attendant pal about him, and she or he knew of this story and had flown with him earlier than, and had nothing however good issues to say. Robinson even has his pilot’s license, and described the job of being a flight attendant as “a blessing, to have the ability to benefit from a profession in aviation.”

I feel it goes with out saying that the massive query — and the explanation he was fired — concerned how he defended himself. It’s clear that the passenger was the aggressor, and that Robinson tried to initially deescalate the state of affairs. Nevertheless, it’s maybe a bit regarding how Robinson mentioned within the interview “what am I purported to do, am I purported to take it, would which have made American Airways really feel higher?”

It’s additionally noteworthy how in a press release, American claimed that his actions have been in a fashion that was inconsistent with the corporate’s insurance policies, each “previous to the altercation and all through.” So we don’t know the way he responded, however clearly American didn’t like how he reacted to an aggressive passenger.

Regardless of the way you slice it, I really feel unhealthy for this man. He had a great efficiency report on the airline, and he had been there for 25 years. Flight attendants have handled a lot abuse from passengers over time, and so they don’t deserve that.

Regardless of how a lot coaching you obtain, it’s onerous to know the way you’re going to react in a state of affairs the place you’re being assaulted for the primary time in your profession (or perhaps even life). Some folks may need a “struggle or flight” response, and it’s actually unhappy that one thing like this might trigger somebody to lose their lifelong profession, which they loved a lot.

Backside line

A former American flight attendant was fired after an inflight assault that occurred on New 12 months’s Even in 2023. A 25-year-old passenger assaulted the flight attendant, going so far as punching him. Nevertheless, the airline claims his habits was inconsistent with the corporate’s coaching, each “previous to the altercation and all through.”

Finally I really feel unhealthy for the man. He had a 25-year profession on the airline, and was preferred by his colleagues. Flight attendants take care of numerous abuse, and irrespective of how effectively you’re skilled, it’s onerous to know the way you’re going to behave once you’re being punched at.

What do you make of this American flight attendant being fired?