Frontier Airlines will be one of the first airlines to allow pilots to pump breast milk in the cockpit under a settlement between the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the airline and five Frontier Airlines pilots, the agency said Tuesday.
In a statement, the EEOC called the policy change “an important step forward for gender equality in the airline industry.” It said that in addition to allowing breastmilk pumping during non-critical flight phases, the new policy would enable breastfeeding pilots to continue working while maintaining the “highest safety standards.”
The Denver-based low-cost airline also agreed to update and clarify its policies related to pregnancy and breastfeeding accommodations, the statement said.
This includes making clear that the airline accommodates pilots unable to fly due to pregnancy or breastfeeding on the same terms it accommodates pilots with other medical conditions that render them unable to fly.
“Thanks to advances in wearable lactation technology, the parties were able to reach an amicable resolution of this matter that also maintains our commitment to the highest safety standards,” Jacqueline Peter, vice president of labor relations at Frontier, said in the EEOC statement. ” ,
The ACLU and others filed a lawsuit in 2019 over the pregnancy and breastfeeding issue. Aditi Fruitwala, staff attorney at the ACLU’s Center for Liberty, said in a statement that the settlement “should serve as a strong message” to employers, especially airline employers. ,
The EEOC has said it plans to update its strategic enforcement plan to include protections for workers affected by pregnancy. delivery or related medical conditions.
