In tragic news, a Hawaiin Airlines flight attendant has passed away from COVID-19. Jeff Kurtzman, the flight attendant who passed away, was of one of 17 who attended a Hawaiian Airlines training session and later tested positive. This case highlights the risks flight attendants face during COVID-19, having to keep safe on the ground as well as on flights.
Tragic death
Jeff Kurtzman, the 60-year-old flight attendant, worked for Hawaiian for nearly 34 years, joining the airline is 1986. He was one of the 17 people who attended a Hawaiian Airlines training session in June and contracted COVID-19.
He is reported to be the first death from the training session, with others in quarantine. The airline has since tightened its training rules and made masks mandatory to prevent transmission, according to NBC.
Hawaii itself is currently in the midst of a surge of COVID-19 cases. The island has already pushed back the date of its reopening to the mainland, affecting airline plans and lengthening the quarantine rules. Now with cases increasing, the island may have to push its reopening further out if not brought under control soon.
Flight attendants face a high risk
The death of Mr. Kurtzman also highlights the dual-threat flight attendants face during this pandemic. Flight attendants have to take all the necessary precautions to stay safe on the ground, while also spending hours onboard flights interacting with hundreds of passengers.
According to a study by the New York Times, flight attendants are considered to be at a very high risk of contracting COVID-19 due to their close proximity to people. While this case of the flight attendant’s death is not related to any inflight incident it highlights the threat that everyone on the ground faces.
Airlines have implemented different solutions to keep flight attendants safe. Safety measures include full PPE suits to just a mask, depending on airline policy. The measures also vary depending on the length of the flight, with the goal being minimizing interaction to keep everyone safe.
New reality
While the news of the death of the Hawaiian flight attendant is terrible, sadly, this is the new reality of COVID-19. A number of other airlines have also reported that many of their staff have contracted COVID-19. Delta has seen 500 staff testing positive and 10 of them later passing away. While these figures may not be directly related to flying, the risk remains high across all customer-facing roles.
With employees facing such high-risk environments, airlines are also now offering tests to their employees. Cathay Pacific announced today that it had tested 3,200 crew and found no cases, a positive sign for the global carrier. Other airlines around the world are using tests to ensure their staff remains safe.
While COVID-19 might be a new reality, and we could see more saddening deaths, it is positive that airlines are moving quickly to ensure the safety of their staff and passengers.