Assaults against aviation workers have skyrocketed over the past year, but despite the severity and frequency of these violent events, not a single passenger who has assaulted a ground service worker has been prosecuted under federal law.

The bipartisan Safe Aircraft Maintenance Standards Act raises safety standards for U.S.-flagged aircraft maintained abroad to bring them in line with domestically maintained aircraft. This will not only better ensure the safety and security of frontline aviation workers and the flying public, but also deter offshoring of aircraft maintenance.

Federal legislation has been re-introduced in the U.S. Congress to address this issue. The Cabin Air Safety Act, sponsored by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Representative John Garamendi (D-CA), would help set our cabin air on a path to being healthy and safe. The TWU fully endorses this important bill as a first step to ensuring our cabin air is healthy and safe.