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Flight attendants reported a passenger was allowed to fly without wearing a face mask due to a self-reported medical condition.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1755162 |
| Time | |
| Date | 202008 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801-2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Flight Attendant (On Duty) |
| Qualification | Flight Attendant Current |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | Flight Attendant In Charge |
| Qualification | Flight Attendant Current |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Passenger Misconduct |
Narrative:
Myself and the flight attendant a arrived to the gate in ZZZ for our departure flight abc to ZZZ1 where we would meet the [rest of] crew for the flight. When arriving we noticed the customer service having a hefty conversation with what I had assumed was a passenger for flight abc. Another agent checked the crew in for boarding; whom mentioned she would be controlling and boarding the flight. She continued by stating she wasn't aware with what the agent at the counter was dealing with; but would find out more. A short time after myself and the additional crew boarded; customer service advised us 'we now have a passenger who cannot wear a mask on our flight due to medical reasons.' we all asked if there was evidence to support her statement. He replied that she did not and also stated he asked for support from his leads whom told him the passenger did not need any.at this time the crew and I asked for inflight supervisors to come to the aircraft. I continued to research the latest inflight documents and covid-19 requirements. We as a crew were aware that a document stating passengers were required to have proof of exemption to wear a mask. As the aircraft continued to fill up for boarding the a flight attendant and D flight attendant remained in the forward galley speaking to inflight supervisor.when I approached the forward galley area; supervisor a asked me how [I was] inward feeling. My response was that 'I don't feel comfortable having a passenger on board the aircraft who states they can't wear a mask.' supervisor a stated that I had the opportunity to call crew scheduling to call out of the trip if I didn't feel comfortable. I replied that that wasn't a favorable option. I would then have to call in sick when not sick; affecting my attendance; and then find my own way home from ZZZ.at this time we decided to continue to fly due to not having many options other than to do so. I still wasn't comfortable having interactions with the passenger so the D flight attendant and myself; B flight attendant; switch positions for the duration of the flight. We re-briefed with the crew and continued the flight.I'm still extremely upset that there was no company or management support for a passenger who claimed to have a medical condition but no proof. Passengers must wear mask or not fly regardless of medical conditions.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: Flight attendants reported a passenger was allowed to fly without wearing a face mask due to a self-reported medical condition.
Narrative: Myself and the FA A arrived to the gate in ZZZ for our departure Flight ABC to ZZZ1 where we would meet the [rest of] crew for the flight. When arriving we noticed the customer service having a hefty conversation with what I had assumed was a passenger for Flight ABC. Another agent checked the crew in for boarding; whom mentioned she would be controlling and boarding the flight. She continued by stating she wasn't aware with what the agent at the counter was dealing with; but would find out more. A short time after myself and the additional crew boarded; customer service advised us 'we now have a passenger who cannot wear a mask on our flight due to medical reasons.' We all asked if there was evidence to support her statement. He replied that she did not and also stated he asked for support from his leads whom told him the passenger did not need any.At this time the crew and I asked for inflight supervisors to come to the aircraft. I continued to research the latest inflight documents and COVID-19 requirements. We as a crew were aware that a document stating passengers were required to have proof of exemption to wear a mask. As the aircraft continued to fill up for boarding the A FA and D FA remained in the forward galley speaking to inflight Supervisor.When I approached the forward galley area; Supervisor A asked me how [I was] inward feeling. My response was that 'I don't feel comfortable having a passenger on board the aircraft who states they can't wear a mask.' Supervisor A stated that I had the opportunity to call crew scheduling to call out of the trip if I didn't feel comfortable. I replied that that wasn't a favorable option. I would then have to call in sick when not sick; affecting my attendance; and then find my own way home from ZZZ.At this time we decided to continue to fly due to not having many options other than to do so. I still wasn't comfortable having interactions with the passenger so the D FA AND myself; B FA; switch positions for the duration of the flight. We re-briefed with the crew and continued the flight.I'm still extremely upset that there was no company or management support for a passenger who claimed to have a medical condition but no proof. Passengers must wear mask or not fly regardless of medical conditions.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.