Their excuse didn’t fly with the airline.
Tensions are boiling after three senior Brussels Airlines employees were sacked because they refused to go on duty over bed bug concerns.
The issue occurred on Oct. 16 after cleaners noticed signs of the parasites aboard an A330-300, which was slated to fly from Brussels, Belgium, to Accra, Ghana, Aviation24.be reported.
In response, Brussels Airlines conducted its own investigation into the so-called bloodsucking stowaways, ultimately determining that the vessel was bug-free.
“After thorough inspection, it was confirmed as a false alarm, and the aircraft was accepted by the captain of the flight to re-enter service,” Brussels Airlines spokesperson Nico Cardone told the Post. “Our cleaning staff are trained to be vigilant in this type of situation. “
Despite the all-clear, three of the five flight attendants who raised concerns remained unswayed and invoked their “unfit to fly” right—a European aviation policy allowing crew to withdraw from duty physically or psychologically unable to do their job.
This didn’t fly with the carrier’s brass, who reportedly canned the veteran crew members — who had 20, 27 and 30 years of service respectively — over “gross misconduct,” Cardone said. The employees were accused of “flagrantly breaching procedures” and causing financial and operational harm to the carrier.
The flight attendants, who had expected a slap on the wrist at most, were appalled over their surprise dismissal, with one of them reportedly even fainting during the meeting.
Union representatives condemned the decision, claiming that it set a dangerous precedent.
“Crew who feel unsafe or unfit may now be pressured to fly regardless of their condition, which jeopardizes passenger safety,” warned Jeroen Van Ranst of the Dutch-speaking union ACV Puls.
Unfortunately, talks between the unions and the airline failed to get resolved, prompting unions to consider a protest action — although Cardone told the Post that he was “unaware of any concrete strike actions” that were in the works. Many are imploring the airline to reinstate the crew members and for management to make a gesture to restore trust.
Several flight attendants believe this is the culmination of deteriorating conditions at the carrier, which has been plagued by management pressure, increasing cancellations and an aging long-haul fleet.
“We’re tired of being harassed and threatened,” declared one, per Aviation24.be. “The company has become toxic.”
Bedbugs are a more common problem in the friendly skies than one might think.
“Bedbugs often hitchhike on luggage and personal items; they can unknowingly end up on airplanes,” said Hottel, a Georgia-based Orkin entomologist. “They are also incredibly skilled at hitchhiking, traveling on personal belongings such as luggage, clothing, purses, and gym bags. Travelers can unknowingly transport them from one place to another.”
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