American Airlines Flight Attendant Dies From Coronavirus

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An American Airlines flight attendant died after possibly contracting the coronavirus, making other airline employees fearful for their future.

Paul Frishkorn, a Philadelphia-based flight attendant died this week, according to reports from CNN. The cause of death has not been revealed yet, but his voicemail greeting said that he was “very ill” and waiting to hear if his test for COVID-19 was positive.

“He was amazing, and totally selfless, and just a … good soldier who never asked for any recognition, other than to make sure people were taken care of,” Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, told CNN.

Just as many others during this pandemic, flight attendants have had to continue working and risk exposing themselves to the coronavirus.

“They’re right there exposed on the front lines,” The President of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, Lori Bassani, told CNN. “They’re scared of getting sick and carrying the virus to their families.”

American Airlines released a statement to CNN in regards to work safety, saying, “We’ve taken enhanced steps to provide our team members with a safe, healthy and clean working environment.”

The press release also noted that employees have been instructed to stay home if they exhibit any symptoms. American Airlines allows for up to two weeks of additional paid sick leave if an employee catches the virus or has to quarantine.