Taiwanese flag carrier EVA Air is currently facing public scrutiny after a flight attendant tragically died days after working a 13-hour nonstop service from Milan to Taipei despite feeling seriously ill. Industry reports have alleged that the cabin manager refused to call in ground medical support teams and insisted that she continue working. The individual in question also denied a wheelchair or ambulance upon arrival for this flight attendant, and she later died in a hospital.
EVA Air has noted that it is “deeply saddened” by the passing of its employee, and the airline has informed the media that it will be opening an internal probe and cooperating directly with authorities. Taiwan’s labor inspectors and the Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union are all investigating alleged managerial negligence and sick-leave policies that may ultimately discourage flight attendants from reporting serious illnesses. Possible penalties for those potentially at fault have been floated as well.
Everything We Know About The Incident In Question
EVA Air has said that a flight attendant fell seriously ill during a long-haul route to Italy from the airline’s principal hub at Taipei’s Taoyuan Airport (TPE). This flight was Flight BR 95 on September 3. According to a statement issued by an anonymous colleague as well as the airline’s pilot union itself, the flight attendant had reported feeling unwell, and her condition ultimately worsened upon return, and she sought medical help immediately.
The cabin manager allegedly refused to contact ground medical support and told her to continue working. Ultimately, after landing, she was denied requests for a wheelchair and ambulance transport. She later reached the hospital and reportedly died just a few days later. EVA Air has opened up an internal investigation, and Taiwan’s labor inspectors and unions have continued to probe for managerial negligence and sick-leave pressures levied on employees, according to reports from The Taipei Times.
What Does All Of This Mean For EVA Air?
EVA Air is currently facing a public relations fallout on multiple fronts. For starters, the story has already gone global, fueling anger over the fact that cabin leadership failed to call in medical support teams or summon an ambulance for a severely ill employee. This ultimately erodes trust with customers and prospective hires. Regulators are now involved in the situation, with Taiwan’s labor inspectors and the Ministry of Labor probing potential managerial negligence and sick-leave pressures, raising the risk of penalties and mandated reforms.
From an operational standpoint, EVA Air will likely tighten and audit medical-escalation procedures in order to call in medical teams quickly and prevent these kinds of accidents from occurring again in the future. Incident logging, recurrent training, and crew empowerment will likely all be part of the carrier’s set of responses to the incident.
These are all changes that will undoubtedly add costs to the airline’s bottom line but will improve safety culture. In an age where reputation and customer relationships are everything in the commercial aviation industry, these kinds of incidents can be seriously damaging to an airline and its financial picture. EVA Air continues to face heavy domestic competition from players like Starlux Airlines.
What Is Our Bottom Line?
At the end of the day, any situation in which passengers are sitting on an aircraft with a seriously ill flight attendant who is being denied the basic medical resources that they need will lead to a poorer passenger experience. While many of the allegations mentioned in this story remain unconfirmed, there is still reputational harm being done by these kinds of stories floating around on social media.
Full audits and investigations will likely help us confirm exactly what happened on board that aircraft. Regardless of who is at fault, a flight attendant’s death is a major loss for air safety, and these kinds of stories will discourage some from entering the industry.
At the same time, air safety, especially when it comes to the health of pilots and cabin crew, is becoming an even bigger concern for customers. Passengers want to have comfortable relationships with those they are traveling with.