United offering to reassign pregnant flight crew
Tuesday, 04 Feb, 2016
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United Airlines is offering to reassign pregnant flight attendants concerned about flying routes to Zika hotspots in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to an internal memo.
The memo, seen by Reuters, said reassignment is also available for crew members looking to become pregnant and any who switch will not face any disciplinary action.
Commenting on the memo, Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants said: "We have immediate concern about our members’ health. This issue is changing at a fairly rapid pace, it’s important that those updates are ongoing."
"The safety of our employees and customers is paramount, and we are providing this option because it’s the right thing to do," United spokesman Charles Hobart told Reuters.
"United has similar options available for pilots who choose not to fly to Zika-affected regions."
The airline did not say how many flight attendants have requested reassignments.
Swiss International Air Lines this week said that it would not compel female crew to fly on its Sao Paulo, Brazil route due to any fears over contracting the Zika virus.
Zika is now a global health concern and has been blamed for birth effects which can prove fatal.
The fight against the virus has also taken on a new dimension this week, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting the first case of Zika transmission through sexual contact.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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