FAA approves American Airlines Boeing 787 operations with reduced crew
American Airlines has reportedly been approved to operate its Boeing 787 with reduced cabin crew.
The airline had sought approval from the FAA to operate flights on its premium-heavy Boeing 787-9P with just seven cabin crew, instead of the usual eight.
In a memo to its members seen by AGN, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) said the reduced staffing certification had been ‘finalised this week,’ allowing flights to be operated with just seven cabin crew.
in response to AGN’s enquiry, the FAA confirmed the approval, explaining that:
“FAA safety regulations base flight attendant requirements on airplane seating capacity. On June 25, the FAA observed American Airlines successfully complete evacuation safety demonstrations with seven flight attendants on its Boeing 787-9P airplanes. American’s 787-9P aircraft have a lower seating capacity than its other 787 models, which require eight flight attendants.”
The union warns that this will lead to “a first-time ever single Flight Attendant at the 4L/4R doors now being responsible for evacuating two widebody exits in the event of an emergency.”
It states that, despite FAA approval, “there is no question that reducing staffing on widebody aircraft to less than one Flight Attendant per emergency exit affects passenger and crew safety.”
“American Airlines had a clear opportunity to lead the industry by prioritising safety and setting a higher standard than our competitors—instead, they chose to follow competitors down a path of cost-cutting at the expense of crew and passenger safety,” the memo says.
APFA says it will contest the decision and meet with lawmakers to bring this issue to the fore.
Why is American Airlines being allowed to reduce cabin crew numbers?
The specific model of Dreamliner this approval affects is the Boeing 787-9P, a special configuration tailored for American Airlines with premium-heavy seating.
According to Planespotters data, the airline has had four Dreamliners delivered in this configuration so far out of an order of 30.
These aircraft include 51 Flagship Suites, a new standard in American’s business class. The premium footprint is further expanded with 32 premium economy seats, 11 more than on its other 787-9s.
That leaves room for only 161 economy seats, for a total passenger load of 244. This compares to 286 on the regular 787-9s.
The FAA mandates a minimum of one crew member for every 50 passengers. However, operationally this would be difficult, and most airlines choose to fly with eight or as many as 10 cabin crew onboard, depending on the route.
Why are airlines applying for reduced cabin crew flying?
Both Delta and United have already secured approvals for reduced crew flying. United has a minimum staffing agreement for its 787s, including the larger 787-10, while Delta is allowed to fly its Airbus A330s with just six cabin crew, if necessary.
It should be noted that this is not simply a cost-cutting measure on the part of the airlines. In a statement to media, American Airlines previously noted,
“There are no changes to the staffing plans of our Boeing 787 aircraft, which will continue to be staffed and scheduled for nine flight attendants. Consistent with other major network carriers, we will work with the FAA to determine if the Boeing 787-9P aircraft minimum can align with the FAA minimum of seven flight attendants — which would only apply in the rare circumstance that a flight attendant is ill, injured or otherwise not able to fly a flight for which they are scheduled.”
The likelihood, therefore, of a flight actually being operated with a seven-strong cabin crew is slim, and according to the airline, it certainly won’t be intentional.
Nevertheless, APFA raises a valid point regarding evacuation. With only one cabin crew at the rear of the aircraft, managing dozens of economy passengers and two doors on opposite sides of the fuselage is going to be challenging .
American Airlines has been reached out to for comment.
