Flight Safety Information - July 31, 2023 No. 146 In This Issue : Incident: Air China B744 at Amsterdam on Jul 30th 2023, bird strike : Incident: India B788 at Delhi on Jul 28th 2023, burst tyre on departure : Incident: Starlux A321N at Bangkok on Jul 27th 2023, hard landing : United Airlines Airplane That Lost Emergency Slide in Midair Forced to Make Emergency Landing After Smoke Fills Cockpit : Family sues Delta after drunken passenger allegedly groped mom and her teen daughter on flight : Cadet pilots forced to work as ground crew due to senior pilot drought: sources : Aer Lingus to start recruiting and training pilots again after four-year break : Jet Airways revival back on track with AOC renewal : Fiji Airways Launches Pilot And Engineer Scholarship Programs : Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority says airspace ‘safe’ after EU agency’s warning : Explained: Part 121 Airline Rules In The United States : Irate American Airlines Passenger Targets Flight Attendant In Vicious Road Rage Incident On Freeway Incident: Air China B744 at Amsterdam on Jul 30th 2023, bird strike An Air China Boeing 747-400, registration B-2476 performing flight CA-1040 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Shanghai Pudong (China), was climbing out of Amsterdam's runway 24 when the crew stopped the climb at FL070 reporting they had had a bird strike into engine #3 (inboard right hand, PW4096). The aircraft subsequently climbed to FL130 to dump fuel and returned to Amsterdam for a safe landing on runway 27 about 100 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Amsterdam about 7:15 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=50c6d9f5&opt=0 Incident: India B788 at Delhi on Jul 28th 2023, burst tyre on departure An Air India Boeing 787-8, registration VT-NAA performing flight AI-143 from Delhi (India) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) with 200 people on board, was climbing out of Delhi's runway 28R when air traffic control informed the crew that tyre debris had been found on their departure runway. The crew stopped the climb at FL120, entered a hold to dump fuel and returned to India for a safe landing on runway 11 about one hour after departure. A post flight inspection confirmed the tyre debris came from aircraft. A replacement Boeing 787-8 registration VT-AND reached Paris with a delay of about 7.5 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=50c61bf3&opt=0 Incident: Starlux A321N at Bangkok on Jul 27th 2023, hard landing A Starlux Airlines Airbus A321-200N, registration B-58211 performing flight JX-741 from Taipei (Taiwan) to Bangkok (Thailand) with 178 people on board, landed on Bangkok's runway 19L but touched down hard. The aircraft rolled out without further incident and taxied to the apron. The aircraft was unable to continue its schedule and is still on the ground in Bangkok about 57 hours after landing. A repair team was dispatched to Bangkok. A replacement A321N registration B-58212 was dispatched to Bangkok and performed the return flight with a delay of about 15:15 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=50c61916&opt=0 United Airlines Airplane That Lost Emergency Slide in Midair Forced to Make Emergency Landing After Smoke Fills Cockpit The pilots of a 24-year-old Boeing 767 operated by United Airlines were forced to make an emergency landing on Wednesday after they reported “uncontained heat and smoke” in the cockpit shortly after takeoff. The plane is the same aircraft (registration: N666UA) which dropped an emergency slide in midair earlier this month while on final approach to land at Chicago O’Hare Airport following a transatlantic flight from Zurich, Switzerland. United hadn’t flown the aircraft in commercial service following the July 17 incident, which damaged a residential property after the slide pack hit the side of the building. After spending several days on the ground, a planned service from Chicago to London Heathrow on July 23 was cancelled at the last minute and the plane remained on the ground for several more days before being scheduled to operate flight UA3 to Zurich. According to the Aviation Herald, the aircraft was just 260 nautical miles from Chicago when the pilots reported “uncontained heat and smoke on the flight deck”. The plane diverted back to Chicago O’Hare, where it was met by emergency services which checked the plane over for signs of fire or smoke. The aircraft remained stranded on a taxiway for around 45 minutes before being cleared to taxi back to the gate. Following Wednesday’s incident, the plane remained on the ground for several more days but flight tracking websites indicate that United will try to fly the aircraft to London Heathrow on Saturday evening. United Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2023/07/29/united-airlines-airplane-that-lost-emergency-slide-in-midair-forced-to-make-emergency-landing-after-smoke-fills-cockpit/ Family sues Delta after drunken passenger allegedly groped mom and her teen daughter on flight A federal lawsuit was filed against Delta Air Lines on Tuesday accusing flight attendants of failing to intervene after a male passenger, according to the lawsuit, was served at least 10 alcoholic drinks and then groped a mother and her 16-year-old daughter. The plaintiff in the suit, filed in the Eastern District of New York, was identified only as the parent of the teenager. According to the filing, the girl and her mother were traveling to Athens, Greece, from New York City on a nearly nine-hour flight last year when the incident occurred. A woman who was assigned the seat next to her daughter, who was in the middle, switched with an unidentified man in order to sit next to her husband, the suit said. The family is referred to by initials throughout, with "N.A." referring to the girl while her mother is identified as "A.A." Before the plane even departed, the man allegedly asked the flight attendant for a "vodka on the rocks." "Over the first three hours of the flight, the Delta flight attendants served the intoxicated Delta passenger approximately 10 vodka on ice drinks," the lawsuit said. The male passenger appeared visibly intoxicated, slurring his speech and continually attempting to get the teenager's attention the more he intoxicated he became, the lawsuit said. When the girl asked him to stop talking to her, the man became "aggressive" and yelled at her. He then demanded to know where she lived, identifying himself as a Connecticut resident, and wanted to know her address, according to the filing. "N.A. was frightened by his personal questions, tone and body language and turned her back to him to tell her mother that she was scared," the suit said. "When N.A. turned away from him, the intoxicated Delta passenger began grabbing N.A., putting his hands on her back." The girl's mother also intervened, begging the man to leave her daughter alone. They both told the man that the girl was a minor and still in high school, but he reached over and "began pulling and pushing" at the mother's arm, according to the suit. The mother spoke to a flight attendant, saying the passenger was "very drunk and was making both her and her 16-year-old daughter feel unsafe by yelling, making obscene gestures and touching her daughter inappropriately." According to the suit, the flight attendant simply told her to "be patient" before walking away. When the man went to the bathroom, the girl's mother once again spoke with the flight attendant and pleaded with staff to stop serving him alcohol. But upon his return the man had a glass of red wine with him, according to the lawsuit. Later on, the girl laid her head in her mother's lap in an effort to ignore the man when he allegedly put his fingers underneath her shirt and up her back. "N.A. was frozen as she felt the intoxicated Delta passenger’s hand fingering her bra strap and moving over her body," the suit said. "N.A. was trembling, petrified and crying and finally got the courage to jump out of the seat and out of his reach." The man then put his hand on the mother's thigh and moved "toward her vagina," the suit said. The girl and her mother then spoke to both the head flight attendant onboard the flight and the pilot, who both, according to the lawsuit, said there was nothing they could do. Another passenger saw both the mother and daughter crying and offered to switch seats to sit next to the drunken passenger after learning about the situation, according to the lawsuit. Despite the flight attendant telling the family she had asked for volunteers to switch with them, the passenger who offered to change seats told the girl and her mother he had not been asked or heard an announcement for volunteers. The man was allowed to leave when the plane landed in Greece and no police were called despite the mother's request that authorities meet them in Athens, the lawsuit said. Delta declined to comment on the litigation but a spokesperson told NBC News in a statement Sunday that the airline has "zero tolerance for customers who engage in inappropriate or unlawful behavior." "Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and our people," the spokesperson said. The lawsuit, which seeks $2 million in damages, accuses Delta of violating New York's human rights law by failing to protect them from sexual misconduct. It also alleges negligence by Delta staff in continuing to serve the passenger despite Federal Aviation Administration policy on serving intoxicated passengers. https://www.yahoo.com/news/family-accuses-delta-negligence-drunken-191112730.html Passenger removed from flight at Logan Airport after caller reports alleged safety threats BOSTON -- A passenger on a flight to New Jersey was removed at Logan Airport on Sunday after a caller reported the passenger allegedly made threats related to the flight’s safety, authorities said. An anonymous caller told a New Jersey police agency that a man aboard Newark-bound Delta Airlines Flight 5770 had allegedly made the concerning threats, according to Massachusetts State Police. The plane turned back to Boston, where Massport fire officials and state troopers escorted the man off the plane. His two carry-on bags were searched by bomb squad and explosive ordinance-detecting dogs, but no hazards were found. After the man was removed, the flight continued on its path to New Jersey. No charges are being sought at this time. An investigation is ongoing. https://www.yahoo.com/news/passenger-removed-flight-logan-airport-011458281.html Cadet pilots forced to work as ground crew due to senior pilot drought: sources The local flagship airline Cathay Pacific announced an arrangement in June to have cadet pilots work as ground crew for two months before serving as second officer, citing a need for ground crew. It was learned that the main reason for such a plan was the lack of trainers for the future pilots. Sources have stated that during the Covid-19 pandemic, many senior pilots departed the flight giant due to the negative outlook of the industry and wage cuts, leading to a drought of senior captains. To remedy the drought, the airline worked with Hong Kong Polytechnic University's Cadet Pilot program to hire approximately 250 pilot trainees. The issue could not be solved as there is still a lack of senior captains who can train them, as they have flying duties and can't set aside time for training the new blood. The cadet pilots were then sent to work as ground crew members, which was easier to pick up, as the airline did not want idle human resources, according to the source. In response to the arrangement, Cathay said it aims to broaden the experiences of the pilot trainees and provide chances to widen their expertise and career development at the airline. https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/206579/Cadet-pilots-forced-to-work-as-ground-crew-due-to-senior-pilot-drought:-sources Aer Lingus to start recruiting and training pilots again after four-year break Carrier’s pilot recruitment drive reopens for first time since pandemic, as transatlantic expansion and growth of Dublin hub offer opportunities Aer Lingus is to reopen its pilot recruitment drive, spanning the next five years, for the first time since before the pandemic. The airline is offering 90 “aspiring pilots a unique opportunity to realise their ambitions and become a pilot of tomorrow for the airline”, it said in a statement. Aer Lingus will take in 18 candidates this year, with applications accepted until August 16th. The airline fully sponsors the course. “Aer Lingus’s transatlantic expansion and Dublin hub growth strategy means there are opportunities for new Aer Lingus-trained pilots to join our team of captains and first officers who currently fly to over 80 European destinations, and to 14 North American destinations on our long haul network,” the airline’s chief executive Lynne Embleton said. “Our continued focus on using Ireland’s unique geographic position to connect Europe to North America and vice versa presents immensely exciting careers for those who are passionate about being a pilot.” “While pilots are required to be technically adept, many of the required competencies like decision-making, problem-solving, teamwork and communication are readily transferred from other careers,” chief instructor Capt Karl O’Neill said. “We are seeking to attract future pilots with a wide breadth of qualifications from all backgrounds to reflect the rich diversity of our society and economy.” https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2023/07/31/aer-lingus-to-start-recruiting-and-training-pilots-again-after-four-year-break/ Jet Airways revival back on track with AOC renewal India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has renewed the air operator certificate of grounded Jet Airways, following months of uncertainty over the airline’s revival. A statement from the airline’s parent, the Jalan-Kalrock Consortium, says the DGCA greenlit the renewal on 28 July. The move, it adds, “revalidates the confidence of the Indian aviation regulator in the revival of Jet Airways”. The news is a welcome reprieve for the long grounded carrier, which in recent months had its revival thrown into question following legal woes and the abrupt departure of its CEO-designate Sanjiv Kapoor in May. While Kapoor’s successor has not been named, the consortium has beefed up the airline’s board of directors and announced a new finance chief for the airline. Debt-laden Jet Airways collapsed in 2019 – as the country’s largest privately-owned carrier – after running out of cash. A resolution plan from the consortium - comprising tycoon Murari Lal Jalan and Kalrock Capital - received court approval in June 2021, and Jet clinched its its air operator certificate from Indian regulators in May 2022. Plans to relaunch operations have been pushed back several times, amid reports of a legal wrangle between the airline’s new owners and creditors over the revival plan. In its latest statement, the consortium says it “remains fully dedicated” to reviving the airline. “[The consortium] will continue to work closely with all relevant authorities, industry partners, and stakeholders in reviving Jet Airways in coming weeks,” it adds. https://www.flightglobal.com/airlines/jet-airways-revival-back-on-track-with-aoc-renewal/154355.article Fiji Airways Launches Pilot And Engineer Scholarship Programs With an eye to the future, Fiji Airways has established a scholarship pathway for aspiring pilots and maintenance engineers. In its 2022 Pilot and Technician Outlook, Boeing forecasted 2.1 million new pilots, technicians, and cabin crew would be needed between now and 2041. That includes 602,000 new pilots, 610,000 new technicians, and 899,000 new cabin crew staff, with 37,000 required for the Oceania region alone. One of the South Pacific's most vibrant airlines is Fiji Airways, which will need to attract its own share of new personnel. On Friday, the airline announced a new scholarship scheme designed to bring more young Fijians into the airline as pilots and engineers, on top of an earlier announcement regarding cabin crew opportunities. Fiji Airways signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tertiary Scholarships and Loan Service (TSLS) on Friday that will pave the way for aspiring pilots and engineers to join the airline. The MoU means that Fiji Airways will administer a TSLS-sponsored Cadet Pilot scholarship scheme to develop candidates to the minimum entry standard required to join the airline. Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO Andre Viljoen said the scholarship pathway benefits the airline and young Fijians who aspire to fly for Fiji. Illustrating how important it is for the airline to develop new talent now, he added: "Fiji Airways needs up to 200 qualified airline pilots over the next decade. To educate and train a young Fiji National to the correct standard for entry into our jet fleets can take up to six years. "Fiji Airways will perform an initial assessment as the TSLS-appointed Selection Agency by conducting airline industry-specific testing and basic handling assessment using the facilities of the Fiji Airways Aviation Academy. Up to 20 candidates per year would be inducted into the programme." Starting with the end in mind, all candidates will be assessed on their capacity to become fully qualified Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) holders. The selected applicants will undergo a two-year tuition program at an affiliated flying school, with the course content specified by the airline. This ensures that the cadets graduate to the airline's established entry standards. Once graduated, the cadets will join Fiji Link, the domestic carrier of Fiji and a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiji Airways. They will join Fiji Link as trainee First Officers and move through a structured development pathway onto the narrowbody jet fleet in three to four years. Fiji Link operates a fleet of ATR46/72-600 and De Havilland DHC-6-300/400 Twin Otter turboprops. A similar opportunity for budding engineers Fiji Airways has also forecast it will need around 100 qualified aircraft engineers, so it has set up a similar scholarship in that field. Under the MoU, Fiji Airways will administer a TSLS-sponsored Apprentice Engineers scheme for scholarships to become a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME). Again, the Fiji Airways Aviation Academy facilities will be used to conduct candidate airline-specific testing, with some practical assessment in its maintenance hangar and workshops. Twelve candidates will be selected annually to follow a Fiji Airways-approved three-year tuition program at an affiliated university designed for them to meet the airline's entry standard. Part of that initial training program will involve practical work placements with the airline, with the training overseen by Fiji Airways. Graduates would then join the Fiji Airways Engineering facility for a salaried apprenticeship program to create a new generation of LAMEs. The airline said it is dedicated to providing a pathway for young Fijians to join the organization and contribute to the nation's economic health while pursuing rewarding careers. https://simpleflying.com/fiji-airways-launches-pilot-engineer-scholarship/ Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority says airspace ‘safe’ after EU agency’s warning RAWALPINDI: The country’s airspace is “safe” for all kinds of flight operations, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) said on Sunday, days after a European air safety agency warned airlines of “high risk” while flying at low altitudes in Karachi and Lahore. The Aircraft Owners and Operators Association of Pakistan (AOOA) also disputed the safety warning, insisting that Pakis¬tan’s airspace is safe and protected against intrusions. In an advisory issued on Friday, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said that due to the current security situation in Pakistan “with the presence of violent non-state actor groups with confirmed anti-aviation weaponry, possibly MANPADS (man-portable air-defence systems)”, there was a continued possible threat to civil aviation resulting in high risk to operation at altitudes below flight level (FL) 260, or 26,000 feet. The advisory, valid until Jan 31 next year, also mentioned that the “Kashmir region remains the site of a territorial dispute with sporadic military operations posing a potential inadvertent risk to civil aviation due to a potential risk for misidentification in case of military escalation”, particularly in the Lahore region. The agency recommended operators not to conduct flights over Karachi and Lahore below FL 260, adding that operators “should take this information and any other relevant information into account in their own risk assessments, alongside any available guidance or directions from their national authority as appropriate”. However, a spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority said that Pakistan’s airspace was safe for flights operation. The AOOA also opposed the EASA’s safety circular to operators and urged its withdrawal. It said the advisory had “created an excuse to exclude Pakistan from economic activity by creating scares”. “Pakistan airspace is 100 per cent safe and protected against any intrusions,” Imran Aslam Khan, the association’s CEO, said. He stressed that the country’s airports were also safe for flight operations and several commercial and private flights were operating daily. https://www.dawn.com/news/1767515 Explained: Part 121 Airline Rules In The United States A detailed description of Part 121 from its inception to the modern day. There are 50 Titles within the United States Code of Federal Regulations ranging from education to public health. Pertinent to anyone who learns to fly in the US airspace is Title 14: Aeronautics and Space, and further held within this Title are many chapters, subchapters, and parts. We'll focus on one of these particular parts for this article: Title 14, Chapter 1, Subchapter G, Part 121. Referred to simply as "Part 121" in the aviation world, 14 CFR Part 121 is the blueprint for US airline operations. This article will discuss Part 121's inception, applicability, and general requirements. Origins of Part 121 Part 121 is often mistakenly thought of as originating in the Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act of 2010. This 2010 legislation is well-known for being the catalyst for the "1500-hour rule," enacted in August 2013. This rule, which requires US-issued ATP license holders to have a minimum of 1500 flight hours, is not even contained within Part 121. Instead, it resides in Part 61.159 of the Code of Federal Regulations, where pilot certification standards are set. In reality, Part 121 has been around for over half a century. Part 121's origins trace back to at least December 1964, but research provided no clear-cut date for the first publishing of Part 121 in its current form. Still, plenty of contextual clues in the January 1965 Federal Register give a historical reference. Chief among them are the performance requirements for which Part 121 sets strict standards. There are at least 50 references to aircraft built and certified before January 1965 contained within the current publication of Part 121. This creates a precise date of delineation since the legislation needs to create a catch-all statement for aircraft that were certified prior to its current form. The airline regulations that existed before 1965 fell under the purview of the Federal Aviation Administration's predecessor, the Civil Aeronautics Administration. It stands to reason that the CAA ceased in 1958. The 1965 publication of the federal aviation regulations reflects a repositioning of airline regulations in tandem with the inception of their new overseer: the FAA. Despite Part 121's age, commuter airlines (what most people call regional carriers nowadays) were exempt from operations under Part 121 for many years. It wasn't until December 1995 that the FAA announced commuter airlines operating turbojets and carrying between 10–30 passengers would be required to operate under the stricter Part 121 regulations instead of Part 135. The FAA intended to create what was referred to as a "single level of safety." This idea, which still rightfully exists today, is meant to ensure that passengers who book airline tickets are equally safe regardless of the size of the airliner they fly on. The historical importance of this measure cannot be overstated: Had the regionals evaded the rigors of Part 121; they could have been largely exempt from hiring only first officers with ATP certificates when the rules changed in August 2013. Applicability of Part 121 A carrier must legally operate under Part 121 if they fly scheduled flight sequences within, from, or into the United States using a turbojet aircraft, an aircraft with ten or more passenger seats, or a payload of 7,500 pounds or greater. These stipulation-heavy criteria encapsulate every airline operation but leave room for charter and private flying to operate outside Part 121 restrictions. This is why many executive charter services, on-demand carriers, and private owners possess Cessna Citations or Hawker Jets which have fewer than ten seats and are certified to carry payloads of less than 7,500 pounds. These operations are also "on-demand" rather than regularly scheduled, so they fall under either Part 91 or Part 135 of the aviation regulations. Thousands of conditions must be met for an airline to gain an air carrier certificate and operate legally. Some of the more well-known conditions stipulated by Part 121 are the requirements for certain oversight managers within the airline. Specifically, airlines need a safety director, a maintenance director, a director of operations, at least one chief pilot, and a chief inspector. These managers are meant to oversee departments that are intentionally compartmentalized so that the work done by each can be focused and thorough. The chief pilot oversees the pilots; the maintenance director oversees mechanics, the safety director leads a team focused on reviewing reports and incidents, and so on. Each department has a specific purview with limitations and rules. All of these critical departments need to operate flawlessly for the airline to function. This hyper-intentional organizational layout is a huge reason airline travel is so safe. Living legislation Believe it or not, Part 121 has 27 subparts that cover topics such as route approval, continued airworthiness for airliners, and maintenance and training programs. Part 121 also contains countless references to other Parts within Title 14, such as Part 117, which lays out in great detail crew rest requirements. Part 121's density is hard to overstate, and airlines have dedicated divisions of their legal departments to ensure compliance with all the regulations. The federal aviation regulations are, like every other piece of legislation, a living and evolving document. The regulations change, are amended, or added to in response to airline safety department feedback and recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board. Part 121 is constantly being amended and updated to enhance air travel safety. One of the most significant additions to Part 121 over the last decade was the mandatory implementation of a safety management system (known industry-wise as an SMS program) for all air carriers in January 2015. Every airline was given guidelines to develop its safety system, allowing for reporting, researching, and publishing findings. In turn, the conclusions of the SMS inform how the directors of safety departments tailor procedures. Safety management systems require constant oversight and approval from the FAA. They are just one of many examples of how Part 121 is living legislation that constantly adapts to maintain the highest levels of safety. More than just regulations There are no US airline pilots still flying who can say they came before the days of Part 121. While the laws which govern commercial and civil aviation in the US constantly evolve for the safer, the foundation for the legislation has been 14 CFR Part 121 for the better part of seven decades. With its long tenure of evolution, strict standards for pilots, and granular procedures for operational compliance, 14 CFR Part 121 is the benchmark for civil aviation standards in the US, and every pilot knows about these regulations whether they operate under them or not. Part 121 is more than just a set of laws. It's a longstanding, constantly evolving operational philosophy. https://simpleflying.com/part-121-airline-rules-united-states-genesis-history-guide/ Irate American Airlines Passenger Targets Flight Attendant In Vicious Road Rage Incident On Freeway The frustrations about bad experiences with American Airlines reached a boiling point with one irate passenger who spotted an AA flight attendant on the road and started to target her while driving. The female driver spotted a woman wearing her AA flight attendant uniform while driving home from work, then proceeded to cut her off at high speed, cursed at her, and threw trash at the car. Not only is this highly dangerous but also one of the most insane things I’ve ever heard as far as a customer’s retribution against an airline or their representatives is concerned. The Independent reported about the AA crewmember who posted a TikTok video about her experience. An American Airlines flight attendant has gone viral on TikTok for sharing the harrowing story of an angry passenger who nearly ran her off the road in anger over the carrier’s alleged performance issues. “I just had to worry about my life driving home from work,” Elizabeth Braley told viewers in a video posted on Monday, which has racked up nearly 50,000 views. She described how after a recent flight, a female passenger cut her off multiple times at high speed driving down the highway. After weaving across multiple lanes of traffic to avoid the aggrieved passenger, Ms Braley said the driver pulled up alongside her. “My windows were down,” the flight attendant said in a follow-up video. “She saw that I was in uniform and just thought I was a target.” The driver then proceeding to unleash a stream of insults at the flight attendant. “She goes, f*** your airline and starts throwing s*** out of her car,” Ms Braley said, adding, “She tries to run me off the road.” The flight attendant said in the video that she sympathises with passengers upset about delays or cancellations, but added that crewmembers have no control over this, and that delays impact them too because they aren’t paid until the flight doors are closed and a voyage is underway. “We are so tired too, but like really?” she said. “It’s just like, I just don’t get why people are so cruel sometimes.” … “I’m so sorry that happened to you,” another added. “A passenger cursed me out in the terminal, 100s of flight were canceled that day. He wasn’t even on my flight.” There are so many things wrong with this. For one, why is this person scanning drivers of other vehicles and then recognizing a specific uniform as belonging to American Airlines. Plus, this could have been a ground worker as well, but I doubt the offender in this case cares. I seriously wonder what experience triggered the obsession to go after airline staff outside of their workplace. It’s one thing to criticize someone’s work performance while on the job in a civilized manner, but once someone has left the workplace, then leave the person alone. Whoever is responsible for this should be reported to the police. Leave the emotional aspect aside, to endanger someone and other motorists on the freeway is totally unacceptable. At the same time, this should send an alarm signal to airline management to maybe think about stabilizing the operations and passenger experience. Do you really want your employees to be afraid of being identified as an employee of your company in public? Conclusion A crazy female American Airlines customer went after a flight attendant when she spotted her driving home on the freeway. Lots of verbal abuse, dangerous driving maneuvers, and even throwing trash followed. The AA employee escaped unharmed but was obviously shaken from the experience. Hopefully, the offender can be identified and prosecuted. What is going on in the U.S. nowadays? Has the flying public gone totally nuts? Every week you see more crazy videos about people misbehaving on flights, chaos at airports, also sometimes crewmembers on unjustified power trips. It’s hard to understand the world we currently live in sometimes. https://loyaltylobby.com/2023/07/31/irate-american-airlines-passenger-targets-flight-attendant-in-vicious-road-rage-incident-on-freeway/ Curt Lewis