southwest airlines flight attendant training

Madden, who is a cancer survivor, told USA Today that the trainees were also not able to practice strict social distancing. The human-sized dummy used for self-defense training was also not wiped down despite flight attendants’ “extensive physical contact” with it, according to the lawsuit. Equipment like fire extinguishers and megaphones were allegedly not sanitized between uses. They allegedly were not asked about potential exposure.Īttendees were required to wear masks but there was no hand sanitizer supplied.

The training is mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration and Madden said she was initially signed up for it in April 2020 but it was pushed back to mid-July when the pandemic started.Īccording to the complaint, Southwest flight attendants and instructors were not screened for COVID-19 symptoms prior to or during the daylong training. “They did not do that in my training last year.” Every touchpoint was cleaned,”‘ she told the outlet. Madden told USA Today that she “firmly believes my husband would still be here” if Southwest had applied the same safety protocols for employees as it does for passengers. “There is nothing and no one that can replace him.” He had a heart of gold,” Madden said of her husband of 35 years. COVID pneumonia was listed as the first cause of death.īill Madden, a veteran and retired railroad signal engineer, was 73 years old. His condition quickly deteriorated and he died a few weeks later. The couple got sick days later and later tested positive for COVID-19, according to the lawsuit. Her husband, Bill, drove her home from the event. Madden attended a one-day training session at Baltimore-Washington International Airport on July 13.

District Court in Maryland seeking more than $3 million in damages, USA Today reported. A Southwest Airlines flight attendant has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her employer, accusing the company of lax COVID-19 protocols and contact tracing that eventually led to the death of her husband.Ĭarol Madden, 69, filed the suit in the U.S.

Southwest airlines flight attendant training