FORT WORTH- American Airlines (AA) is seeking certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its new Boeing 787-9P aircraft with a minimum crew of seven flight attendants, down from the standard nine.
This move is drawing criticism from the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), which represents the airline’s roughly 28,000 flight attendants, reported JonNYC.
American Airlines Boeing 787-9P
The 787-9P is American Airlines’ newest premium aircraft, featuring just 244 seats, including 51 business class suites and 32 premium economy seats. This represents a significant increase in premium offerings compared to American’s existing 787 fleet.
While American plans to staff the 787-9P with nine flight attendants during normal operations, the airline is pursuing certification to allow it to operate the aircraft with only seven flight attendants in exceptional circumstances, such as if a flight attendant becomes ill or injured during a layover. This would prevent the need to cancel flights due to staffing shortages.
The APFA has rejected these changes to the minimum crew requirement, stating that it is “unrealistic and unsafe” to expect seven flight attendants can adequately serve and ensure safety under the new 787-9P configuration, particularly with the increase to 51 private business class suites, which the union claims will add to the flight attendant workload in an already understaffed cabin.
American’s move aligns with the staffing practices of other carriers operating the 787 series, such as United Airlines (UA), which also uses a minimum of seven flight attendants for its 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 aircraft.
However, the APFA maintains that this is an “unacceptable erosion of flight attendant staffing” and plans to attend the certification process to represent its members’ interests and ensure the FAA and all parties are aware of the safety concerns.
The FAA mandates that suite doors remain locked during taxi, takeoff, and landing, which the APFA says adds a critical new safety task for flight attendants that cannot be performed without compromising safety and service standards.
Expert Opinion
Ben Schlappig, from Onemileatatime (OMAAT) , disagrees with the American Flight Attendant Union.
The union’s stance against American Airlines’ policy on staffing for the Boeing 787 appears to lack strong justification. The standard staffing levels for flights are negotiated between management and the union, meaning the proposed policy is not a strategy to undercut staffing permanently. Instead, it addresses exceptional circumstances, such as a flight attendant being unable to complete a return flight due to illness or injury.
The union claims that operating a 787 with only seven flight attendants is inherently unsafe, suggesting that canceling the flight would be preferable. However, United Airlines already follows a similar policy for its 787-10 aircraft, which accommodate 318 passengers—30% more than American’s 787-8 with 244 seats. This raises questions: Is the union suggesting United operates unsafely, or does it believe American’s flight attendants are less capable than their counterparts at United?
It is true that American’s suite-equipped aircraft require additional tasks, such as ensuring suite doors are locked and open for takeoff and landing. While this adds to the workload, it is debatable whether this makes operating the flight with seven attendants “unrealistic and unsafe.” Ensuring suite door safety is unlikely to present a greater challenge than managing the additional 72 passengers on United’s larger 787-10s.
The argument appears more symbolic than practical, seemingly questioning the competence of frontline employees.
Delivery Delays
American Airlines on September 22, 2022, announced that they will launch new business seats called Flagship Suite® seats, featuring privacy doors.
They anticipated that this will be pre-fitted on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner new aircraft and Airbus A321XLR they will take delivery of in 2024. However, things have not worked as planned, and delivery of these planes can slip into 2025. Also, the A321XLR will slip into 2026.
American Airlines pioneered long-haul Premium Economy seating in the U.S. back in 2016. Responding to customer demand, they’re now expanding Premium Economy options across their long-haul fleet. The new, custom-designed seats offer enhanced privacy and twice the in-seat storage.
By 2026, updated interiors will boost premium seating on American’s long-haul aircraft by over 45%. But this target can also be delayed by 2028.
American plans to retrofit its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with Flagship Suite® seats, starting in late 2024. These 20 planes will feature upgraded interiors, including 70 Flagship Suite® seats and 44 Premium Economy seats, offering more premium seating than the current design.
Additionally, American will align its Airbus A321T fleet with the rest of its A321 aircraft. Lie-flat seats will remain available on transcontinental routes from New York (JFK) and Boston (BOS).
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