Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines was criticized on Thursday after reportedly informing its flight attendants of its intention to lower the minimum flight attendant staffing requirement on new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
The news comes as the carrier is working on rolling out a new premium layout on select planes.
American said it will cooperate with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to certify the seating configuration on the aircraft, which will be referred to as the 787-9P.
However, the union representing the carrier’s flight attendants appears to be unhappy with the decision to reduce the minimum staffing mandate, calling it “unrealistic and unsafe.”
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), which represents 28,000 inflight crew members at American, said Thursday that the airline plans to change the minimum staffing requirement to seven flight attendants on the 787-9P.
American schedules a total of nine flight attendants on its current 787-9s, but in the case of an emergency or a staffing shortage, the aircraft is certified to operate with only eight flight attendants.
In 2022, the airline announced it would debut new premium seats on its 787-9 and Airbus A321XLR aircraft.
The new seats, branded as Flagship Suites, will be featured on newly delivered 787-9s next year, despite the carrier originally forecasting deliveries for this year.
The Flagship Suites will be fully enclosed with a privacy door, large screens, and increased storage space.
The Flagship Business cabin on the new 787-9s is expected to comprise 51 suites in a 1-2-1 configuration. The main cabin will also have 32 new premium economy recliner seats featuring new winged headrests.
With this, the newly delivered 787-9s will significantly have more premium seats compared to the 787-9s currently operating – hence the name 787-9P. American’s current 787-9s have 30 Flagship Business seats and 21 premium economy seats.
The APFA slammed American’s plan to reduce the minimum flight attendant staffing requirement on the 787-9Ps.
“This is yet another unacceptable erosion of Flight Attendant staffing. It is unrealistic and unsafe to expect that seven Flight Attendants can adequately serve and ensure safety under the new configuration of the 787-9P, especially with an increase to 51 private Business Class Suites, with each seat bringing added Flight Attendant workload in an already understaffed cabin.”
American stressed on Friday that its 787-9 flight attendant staffing plans will see no changes.
However, the carrier confirmed that it intends to involve the FAA in determining whether the 787-9P can operate with a lower flight attendant minimum, citing competitors with similar aircraft configurations.
“There are no changes to the staffing plans of our Boeing 787 aircraft, which will continue to be staffed and scheduled for nine flight attendants. Consistent with other major network carriers, we will work with the FAA to determine if the Boeing 787-9P aircraft minimum can align with the FAA minimum of seven flight attendants — which would only apply in the rare circumstance that a flight attendant is ill, injured or otherwise not able to fly a flight for which they are scheduled.”
The APFA also explained that it is critical for flight attendants to ensure that all suite doors remain open during taxi, takeoff, and landing, which is in compliance with the FAA.
With more suites, the union said it would be “impossible to perform these additional duties without compromising safety and service standards.”
American, however, believes that reducing the minimum staffing requirement would give the airline more flexibility should operational disruptions occur.
“As we do today, we will work to replace the flight attendant to maintain all nine positions, but adjusting the minimum requirement would provide additional flexibility to avoid lengthy delays and canceling flights — particularly long-haul international flights that have an outsized impact on our customers,” the carrier told my.
As the oneworld airline seeks certification from the FAA, the APFA will not take part in the process.
Citing its non-negotiable safety, workload, and working conditions, the union leaders told members to voice their concerns to American’s management.
“APFA categorically rejects the changes to the minimum crew requirement on the new 787-9P,” the union explained. “We will not participate in the certification process for these changes, however, we will attend to represent our Members’ interests and ensure the FAA and all interested parties are aware of the safety concerns surrounding the proposed staffing on this new aircraft configuration.”
