One American flight attendant, Philadelphia-based crew member Paul Frishkorn, died on March 23.
Lori Bassani, the previous president of AFPA, told USA TODAY, “When this hits one of your own, it sheds a whole new light on the coronavirus,” said Bassani. “This does spread more fear among our ranks. This is a killer virus, unlike any we have experienced.”
On Monday, the Transport Workers Union of America, which represents more than 65,000 aviation workers who work for American Airlines and Southwest Airlines among others, sent a letter to the FAA and OSHA regarding the health and safety of airline workers during the coronavirus pandemic. The letter requested aircraft be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected in between flights and asked that flight attendants be provided with personal protective equipment.
On Wednesday, Southwest spokesman Brian Parrish said that currently, less than 1% percent of the airline’s 60,000 employees have contracted the virus and they will continue to make sure their aircraft and work environments are clean according to CDC guidelines.