As the company makes plans to fly a fulsome summer schedule matching the right aircraft to the demand in a given market and Flight Attendant staffing, we will see a number of aircraft reassignments that will be phased in over the coming months. Regrettably, these changes will impact the language qualified Flight Attendants when specific language needs are no longer necessary as a result of the cessation of service or aircraft reassignment. AFA and the company share an interest in keeping Flight Attendants in their geographic base unless an option to do something different is exercised by the individual Flight Attendant.

The full text of the announcement can be found on the MEC website. The following are the highlights of the upcoming changes:

Mandarin flying at LAX will end mid-February for pmCO and is not expected to return.

French flying at SFO will end in April for pmCO and is not expected to return.

French flying at IAD will end in April for pmCO and is not expected to return.

Hebrew flying at SFO will end in May for pmCO and is not expected to return.

Language Qualified Flight Attendants at LLS & SLS will transfer to the domestic domicile at their location effective as follows:

LLS – CAM - Transfer effective for the March schedule month.

SLS – FRE  - Transfer effective for the May schedule month

SLS – HBR – Transfer effective for the June schedule month.

Language qualified Flight Attendants who remain at their geographic location will retain a preferential right of return to the language base in the event the flying returns as a result of something unanticipated.

For non-language Flight Attendants at these international bases, flying will be balanced through an adjustment to six day (W) flying.

At WLS – FRE, the company will continue to assign a very limited amount of FRE flying that is anticipated to depart from EWR.

Finally, in order to accommodate the transfer of these language qualified Flight Attendants into the geographic locations, the company will process transfers to ensure the seniority protections for those senior to the most junior language qualified Flight Attendant who is transferred as a result of these flying changes.