EVA Air investigating death of flight attendant who fell ill on duty

Taipei, Oct. 13 (CNA) EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, said Monday it was investigating reports that a cabin crew manager had ignored the condition of a flight attendant who became seriously ill while on duty and later died.

The airline was responding to a post circulating on social media, which claimed that the flight attendant was already feeling sick during a recent outbound flight, and had notified the manager of the cabin crew.

Although the flight attendant grew increasingly ill on the return flight, the cabin crew leader did not contact Medlink -- a ground-based service that offers guidance during in-flight medical emergencies -- and insisted that she continue working, the post said.

Even after the plane landed, the crew leader ignored the flight attendant's requests to use a wheelchair and call an ambulance. She was eventually taken to the hospital, where she later died, the post said.

"This was not some regrettable coincidence, but the result of systemic and long-term indifference to crew members' health," said the post, written anonymously by a person who identified themselves as a fellow flight attendant.

In a joint statement issued Monday, the Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union and EVA Airways' corporate union said the incident had occurred on a flight from Milan to Taipei in late September.

The unions said they hoped the tragedy would make the airline more responsive to its cabin crews, who are often afraid to take sick or personal leave because it can affect their performance review and annual bonus.

The unions are also looking into whether the cabin crew manager's behavior constituted workplace bullying, and encourage EVA Air to do the same, the statement said.

Responding to the reports, EVA Air confirmed that it had been in contact with the flight attendant's family during her hospitalization, and had learned of her "tragic death" on Oct. 11.

In addition to offering its deepest condolences, the company said it had opened an investigation to learn the facts of the incident and would continue to provide support to the deceased woman's family.

Meanwhile, the Taoyuan City Office of Labor Inspection said Monday that it had dispatched officials to EVA Airways to begin its own investigation into the incident.