Delta Air Lines to Commence Diversity Training for Cabin Crew

The classes come just months after two high-profile discriminatory incidents occurred on two separate Delta flights.

Delta Air Lines has announced that it is to commence diversity training for all of its flight crews. The announcement comes just months after two high-profile discriminatory incidents took place on the carrier’s flights.

Back in November, CEO Ed Bastian issued a lifetime ban to a passenger after he after was videotaped aggressively ranting his support for Donald Trump. Bastian defended his decision in a memo to employees, saying, “The heightened tension in our society means that now more than ever, we must require civility on our planes.”

Just a few weeks prior to this particular incident, Delta found itself issuing an apology to an African-American doctor who had volunteered to help an ill passenger only to have her offer of assistance refused by a flight attendant.

While diversity training was made mandatory for executives last year, it’s only just being rolled out to the carrier’s flight attendants. Keyra Lynn Johnson, Delta’s managing director for diversity and inclusion, told Skift that the training will encompass “real and relevant scenarios.” Johnson added, “This goes well beyond the typical cross-cultural training.”

Late last week, the U.S Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) issued airline personnel with updated guidelines regarding discrimination. Likewise, it also provided a separate document to passengers, which explained what rights they have should they suffer any discrimination.

According to U.S. DOT, there was a small increase in the number of discriminatory incidents during the first ten months of 2016. However minuscule the increase, these kinds of scenarios are unwelcome from a public relations perspective and so it seems that Delta is now taking active steps to prevent any future reputation damage.

Jason Wingard, a consultant on diversity issues and dean of Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, told the outlet that this kind of training is “usually reactive.”

But Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents crews across multiple carriers, commented on the situation, saying, “What we have seen is a higher sense of emotion across the board, and that’s something that flight attendants have been aware of, and put on their checklist.”

[Photo: Delta Air Lines]