In a new report, airport workers continue to raise alarms about the safety of the nation’s aviation system during the busy holiday travel season, which kicked off with 1.2 million people flying for the Thanksgiving holiday, a pandemic high for air travel.  Airport workers, surveyed at airports across the country, say little has changed in the aviation sector since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and health and safety measures in airports are inadequate to protect them.

The report, “Airborne: grounding the next pandemic before it takes off,” features survey data of nearly 900 cabin cleaners, security officers, wheelchair attendants, baggage handlers, terminal cleaners and other airport workers in 42 airports across the country. The survey is a unique, behind-the-scenes perspective from people who understand how airplanes and terminals are cleaned and staffed. Among the findings:

• A super majority–80 percent–of surveyed essential airport workers feel that working at the airport puts them at increased risk for COVID-19;
• One in five workers say they have not been given adequate PPE by their employer, airport authority or airline;
• 69 percent say their employer has not trained them how to protect themselves and passengers from the virus;
• 67 percent say they have experienced pressure to work too quickly or do more work than they believe is safe because of short-staffing;
• More than half say they have no paid sick leave; while fewer than half say they can raise concerns about workplace issues without fear of retaliation.

Read the full report here: https://bit.ly/AirborneReport