Airlines for America (A4A) has joined more than a dozen other airline industry groups to urge New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to prioritize airline workers as essential employees when it comes to vaccine distribution.
In a Dec. 17 letter, A4A and 19 other organizations asked Cuomo to designate aviation workers as essential workers, in line with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recommendations, and prioritize their ability to get the vaccine for COVID-19 when it becomes available.
In October, Cuomo outlined his vaccine plan. Scheduled for five phases, the plan prioritizes healthcare workers and those in long-term care facilities first. The second phase of vaccines would go to essential workers and those at high risk of dying from COVID-19. Those essential workers were listed as first responders, teachers, school staff and childcare providers, public health workers, and “other essential workers that regularly interact with the public (pharmacists, grocery store workers, transit employees, etc.) or maintain critical infrastructure.” Phase 3 would cover those over 65 and those under 65 at high-risk, while Phase 4 would cover all other essential workers. Phase 5 would cover everyone else.
Aviation workers should be a part of those frontline workers, the groups argued, because of their proximity to the public and their importance to the economy.
“Aviation workers are frontline workers who either encounter the traveling public frequently or are required to perform our work in close proximity to our colleagues and perform our jobs on site. While our employers have implemented multiple layers of protection for the well-being of the traveling public and employees, the very nature of these jobs exposes the aviation workforce to risk like other frontline workers. Nevertheless, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have worked tirelessly to deliver much needed medical supplies, personnel, and PPE to communities and people in need,” the groups wrote. “New York is one of the largest aviation markets in the U.S. and the world, and our industry’s role in New York’s stature is irreplaceable. Commercial aviation accounts for four percent of the state’s total jobs and nearly $26 billion in annual payroll. Passenger and cargo air service provide a vital link for communities throughout the country and cities abroad, and our frontline workers are poised to play a crucial role in helping our country win the battle against COVID-19 while assisting in the ongoing economic recovery.”
The letter was signed by Air Line Pilots Association, International; Airline Catering Association; Allied Pilots Association; Association of Flight Attendants – CWA; and Southwest Airlines Pilots Association Transport Workers Union, among others.