EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections.
According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care.
The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said.
Photo: Tsai Yung-jung, Taipei Times
As sick leave, personal leave and annual leave can affect performance reviews, promotions and end-of-year bonuses, many flight attendants feel like they are unable to request time off, the post said.
Hopefully, this tragedy would make airline companies listen to the needs of their staff, it added.
EVA Airways expressed its deepest sympathies and said it had been in contact with the attendant’s family since they were admitted to a hospital.
The airline said it received news of the attendant’s passing on Saturday.
An internal investigation remains ongoing, it said, vowing to continue to assist the family.
The Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union called for a thorough investigation into whether the crew member faced any difficulties or obstructions when seeking help prior to their death.
The union on Facebook said it hopes airlines would show more empathy and kindness to all staffers who fall ill.
Flight attendants face many stressors and risks, including overnight shifts, overworking, and exposure to different atmospheric pressures and UV radiation, with many suffering from weakened immune systems and chronic health issues, it added.
EVA Airways says it does not require sick employees to work, although its leave policies remain “relatively strict,” the union said.
The Taoyuan Office of Labor Inspection said that it dispatched personnel to EVA Airways at 10:30am today to investigate, although it has received no reports or complaints thus far.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS