Flight Attendants Gain FAA Certification

In the final weeks of the past congressional session, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA won a long-time goal: the certification and recognition of flight attendants for their role as safety and security professionals.

Under the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, adopted by Congress and signed by the President last month, flight attendants will be certified for the safety, security and medical training they already receive, reported AFA-CWA President Pat Friend.

The certification is important to attendants because it will help lead to the portability of jobs and the development of uniform standards for this training among carriers, the union said.

Attendants are trained in a variety of safety and security techniques, ranging from emergency and evacuation procedures to first aid and medical-related care. Despite this extensive training, they had been the only airline work group not covered by the FAA's certification program. Now, attendants will be recognized for their professionalism and management will be forced to recognize that our professional role is an important piece in "the safety of the entire aircraft," the union said.