AFA President Sara Nelson Slams House Passage of NDAA Provision Rolling Back Safety Protection: “Reckless & Indefensible”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson released the following statement following the U.S. House of Representatives passage of a National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2026 that rolls back critical protections in place following the tragic crash of Flight 5342, killing all 67 onboard including AFA PSA Flight Attendants:
“People died this year. All 67 people onboard Flight 5342 – Flight Attendants, pilots, and passengers. Families are still grieving. Flight Attendants and our flying partners across the country are still carrying the trauma of watching colleagues and passengers lost in a collision that never should have happened. And now the U.S. House has passed a provision that would roll back safety protections that could prevent another disaster.
“Who is even asking for this? The NTSB and Chair Homendy are still investigating the tragic collision, and Section 373 of the NDAA is not only reckless and indefensible, but also a direct undermining of the NTSB’s safety guidance.
“Air travel is the safest mode of transportation because we investigate and adapt in the wake of tragedy. The safety protections currently in place following the January 29th crash are crucial, and lawmakers must fix the NDAA immediately. Families have suffered enough. We have the power and responsibility to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again. The Senate must reject this provision NOW.”
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The Association of Flight Attendants is the Flight Attendant union. AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for over 80 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits, working conditions, and public awareness about the role of aviation’s first responders. Over 55,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 500,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at afacwa.org.
