Narrative:

This is to report what I see as an issue with regard to an excessive time between opportunity for nutrition for our cabin crew. It also seems to be a trend with regard to reassignment of cabin crews on hawaiian island 1-DAY trips. In this particular case, the flight attendants arrived at hnl from lax and were reassigned to fly to sfo. These flts do not include meals for the cabin crew because there usually is time between flts on the ground at hnl to eat. In this case, however, flight X arrived at the gate in hnl at XA53Z and blocked out for the outbound flight at XB49Z. That is less than 1 hour to offload and board the next flight. Obviously not enough time for the crew to get a bite to eat, much less a break. If you look at this closely, you can see that they hadn't had a chance to eat in quite some time. That works out to about 11 hours without the opportunity for a meal. And this only because the purser demanded that meals be boarded on the outbound flight. Even if they had eaten before the meal service on flight Y, it still would have been about 9 hours between meals. Still, a very long time. The issue here is that the cabin crew has safety responsibilities on these flts. We make sure the flight deck crew has adequate chance for nutrition, and we should also do the same for the cabin crews. 11+ hours without eating is not what most would describe as providing for such. It puts people in a low blood sugar state, and reduces their capacity to make decisions, and react in the case of an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ADVISES THAT CABIN ATTENDANTS ON HAWAIIAN ISLAND TURNAROUNDS FROM THE US WEST COAST ARE OFTEN FORCED TO GO FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME WITHOUT PROPER NUTRITION.

Narrative: THIS IS TO RPT WHAT I SEE AS AN ISSUE WITH REGARD TO AN EXCESSIVE TIME BTWN OPPORTUNITY FOR NUTRITION FOR OUR CABIN CREW. IT ALSO SEEMS TO BE A TREND WITH REGARD TO REASSIGNMENT OF CABIN CREWS ON HAWAIIAN ISLAND 1-DAY TRIPS. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE FLT ATTENDANTS ARRIVED AT HNL FROM LAX AND WERE REASSIGNED TO FLY TO SFO. THESE FLTS DO NOT INCLUDE MEALS FOR THE CABIN CREW BECAUSE THERE USUALLY IS TIME BTWN FLTS ON THE GND AT HNL TO EAT. IN THIS CASE, HOWEVER, FLT X ARRIVED AT THE GATE IN HNL AT XA53Z AND BLOCKED OUT FOR THE OUTBOUND FLT AT XB49Z. THAT IS LESS THAN 1 HR TO OFFLOAD AND BOARD THE NEXT FLT. OBVIOUSLY NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR THE CREW TO GET A BITE TO EAT, MUCH LESS A BREAK. IF YOU LOOK AT THIS CLOSELY, YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY HADN'T HAD A CHANCE TO EAT IN QUITE SOME TIME. THAT WORKS OUT TO ABOUT 11 HRS WITHOUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A MEAL. AND THIS ONLY BECAUSE THE PURSER DEMANDED THAT MEALS BE BOARDED ON THE OUTBOUND FLT. EVEN IF THEY HAD EATEN BEFORE THE MEAL SVC ON FLT Y, IT STILL WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 9 HRS BTWN MEALS. STILL, A VERY LONG TIME. THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT THE CABIN CREW HAS SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES ON THESE FLTS. WE MAKE SURE THE FLT DECK CREW HAS ADEQUATE CHANCE FOR NUTRITION, AND WE SHOULD ALSO DO THE SAME FOR THE CABIN CREWS. 11+ HRS WITHOUT EATING IS NOT WHAT MOST WOULD DESCRIBE AS PROVIDING FOR SUCH. IT PUTS PEOPLE IN A LOW BLOOD SUGAR STATE, AND REDUCES THEIR CAPACITY TO MAKE DECISIONS, AND REACT IN THE CASE OF AN EMER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.