12.28.01 – (LAA) – AA Flight 63, Shoe Bomber

This is Leslie Mayo, National Communications Coordinator, with the APFA HotLine for Friday, December 28, 2001.

APFA President John Ward issued the following statement this week regarding American Airlines flight 63 – the Miami-bound flight that originated in Paris on Saturday, December 22 and was diverted to Boston after flight attendants discovered a man attempting to ignite what authorities later confirmed was a bomb.

(Quote) “By every account, a major disaster was narrowly averted thanks to the quick and decisive actions of our flight attendants. APFA recognizes these flight attendants and the entire crew – cabin and cockpit – for their courage and professionalism in handling this potentially devastating situation. In addition, APFA wishes to thank those passengers aboard flight 63 who, without hesitation, assisted the crew when called upon.

“APFA Representatives have spoken with the crew and will continue working with American Airlines management to ensure the crew’s needs are being met. The Union’s Safety Department will be following closely the ongoing investigation into this incident. So long as there exists any loopholes in the security process, our members and the flying public will continue to be vulnerable to this type of incident. We intend to continue working with the FAA, DOT, American Airlines, and others to ensure that every last loophole is eliminated, whatever it takes and whatever the cost.” (End quote)

Representatives from the APFA Safety Department met with the National Transportation Safety Board last week in Washington, D.C., for a progress update on the investigation into the crash of American Airlines flight 587. Here’s the latest: The aircraft wreckage from flight 587 has been moved to a hangar in New Jersey. The tail and the rudder have been transported to a NASA facility for follow-up inspections and composite testing. Both engines were transported to American’s Tulsa Maintenance facility and went through an extensive tear down. There was no evidence of engine failure found nor evidence of any foreign object damage associated with a bird strike. In summary, to date, no evidence has been found to presume that the crash of flight 587 was anything other than an accident. We will keep you informed of future developments in this investigation.

In other safety-related news, APFA Representatives recently met with the FAA to provide input into the new crew member Security Training currently being developed by the FAA; additional meetings are scheduled next month.

As previously reported on this hotline, APFA and Management have reached a final agreement on the seniority integration for the TWA-LLC Flight Attendants. For the agreement language and other related information, please visit APFA’s website at www.www.apfa.org.

In other news, there will be a meeting for all furloughed APFA members in the Chicago area on Wednesday, January 16, 2002, hosted by the Chicago APFA Reps. The meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Radisson O’Hare located at 6810 Mannheim Road, Rosemont, Illinois. The meeting will include presentations from the Illinois Department of Employment Services and various APFA Representatives. Those interested in attending should RSVP no later than Friday, January 11, 2002, by calling 773-380-1202, extension 1.

Thank you for calling – this HotLine will be updated on Tuesday, January 1, 2002.