FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2022
Jonna Huseman, jhuseman@twu.org
WASHINGTON, DC — The following statement can be attributed to TWU International President John Samuelsen:
“Airline bosses and the FAA say they want to make flying accessible to everyone, but for far too long both entities have turned a blind eye to the real-life needs of passengers, especially in emergency situations. For the inflight crew members who are directly responsible for passenger safety and emergency evacuation procedures, a lack of sufficient standards can add stress to an already intense situation.
“The Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin Act (EVAC) is reasonable, common-sense legislation that would help inflight crewmembers better evacuate aircraft in an emergency by studying important real-life factors like the age, height, weight, and physical ability of passengers, as well as the presence of personal items.
“As the largest union of airline workers in America, the TWU is wholly committed to enhancing aviation safety, both for the workers we represent and the millions of passengers we serve every year. The TWU supports this legislation, and we look forward to working with lawmakers to see it become reality.”
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The TWU represents more than 155,000 workers across the airline, railroad, transit, universities, utilities and service sectors. The TWU is the largest airline workers union in the United States.