Flight attendants say airlines ignore sexual harassment

Nearly 20 percent of flight attendants say they have been the victims of physical sexual harassment in the past year — and have seen no efforts by their managers to do anything about the problem.

A survey of more than 3,500 flight attendants from 29 airlines in the U.S. found that 35 percent of flight attendants say they have experienced verbal harassment, with 18 percent saying they have been physically abused by passengers over the past year.

According to the survey released by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, 68 percent of flight attendants have experienced some form of sexual harassment during their careers. But only 7 percent of flight attendants who have experienced abuse have reported it, the survey found.

Those flight attendants who have been physically harassed say it includes having their breasts, buttocks and crotch area “touched, felt, pulled, grabbed, groped, slapped, rubbed and fondled,” according to the survey.

More than two-thirds of flight attendants say they noticed nothing by their employers to address the problem in the past year.

Some airlines have taken action against harassment.

About a month ago, Alaska Airlines Chief Executive Brad Tilden sent an online post to his employees, saying the carrier is adding training to help protect flight attendants and passengers from being the victims of assault or harassment.

Delta Air Lines says it has also added training for new and existing employees to cut back on such incidents.

The chief executives of United Airlines, American Airlines and Spirit Airlines have issued messages to their employees in the past few months, condemning harassment in the workplace.