“I Left British Airways Because It Refused to Stop Deportations”
Jennifer Billock August 21, 2019
Recently, a British Airways flight attendant decided to leave her position after coming face to face with the tragedies of deportation — including one incident where a man being deported died inflight because he wasn’t being listened to while he was restrained. She shared her story with the Independent.
Elizabeth Beard, a former British Airways flight attendant, recently took a hard stand against her employer because the airline would not stop assisting with deportations, she decided to leave her position.
Beard started her career with British Airways fresh out of school, excited to see the world with a respected airline. During her employment, she took time off to work with refugees and in refugee camps.
“It was during this time that I became so vividly aware of the contrast in my experience of flying and travel to those being deported,” Beard wrote for the Independent. “… The violent and abrasive contrast of holidaymakers versus those being forcibly removed from their friends, family and homes and taken to places where they are unsafe or maybe subject to persecution and torture, was staggering.”
Deportations generally happen using consumer airlines, where refugees are deported alongside paying travelers on vacations. Situations like this led to an entire British Airways flight witnessing the death of Jimmy Mubenga, who was crying that he couldn’t breathe and was ignored.
“How can a company as established as British Airways ask their employees to aid this abhorrent and dysfunctional process?” Beard asked in her piece. “British Airways claims to be an inclusive employer which upholds so-called ‘British values.’ I would like to ask them what values they think they’re upholding by carrying out these deportations; who exactly are they benefiting aside from a divisive governmental regime?”
Beard’s questions to British Airways were always met with the airline telling her they had no choice. But she has noticed other airlines end their deportation involvement. And with that contradiction, she left her position.
[Featured Image: British Airways]
The first line of this article assumes that British Airways is still a respected brand. This is a massive assumption and I would agree that after a series of very public and damaging gaffes the airline is no longer internationally respected. They seem to have a CEO and management team who are 'sitting on their laurels'.
This point was interesting; “… The violent and abrasive contrast of holidaymakers versus those being forcibly removed from their friends, family and homes and taken to places where they are unsafe or maybe subject to persecution and torture, was staggering.” This implies that the holiday makers are going to unsafe places if they are on the same flight? Don't get me wrong, there are places in the world which are great to visit on holiday, but terrible if you live there without money or a job (Such as South Africa), but Id guess many of the deported she was flying with were going to places such as West African countries.
How else would FA suggest transporting illegal invaders?
Good Riddance, if she can't follow rules and regulation of a country, BA is better off without here..
If she wishes to side with criminals, I'm pretty sure BA doesn't want her anyway.