A 26-year-old worker at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport was killed after an accident while unloading baggage from a Frontier Airlines flight.
Jermani Thompson was working to offload the inbound aircraft at about 10:20 p.m. Tuesday when her hair got caught in a belt loader.
She was pronounced dead after being transported to Ochsner Medical Center Kenner. An autopsy has not been scheduled.
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“We are heartbroken and are supporting her family and her friends as best as we are able. Please send your well wishes to everyone at our New Orleans station during this very difficult time,” Mike Hough, the CEO of GAT Airline Ground Support told FOX 8.
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“What we know so far is that her hair became entangled with the machinery of the belt loader,” he said.
Hough insists GAT would “never prioritize on-time performance above safety,” adding that he reminded employees of that policy in a company-wide email last week.
The GAT employee handbook does state long hairstyles should be worn with hair pulled back and away from the face and neck, however, it is not clear how strictly this policy is enforced on the ground.
Frontier Airlines cancelled one flight Wednesday morning after the accident, but all flights were otherwise operating on schedule, Frontier spokesperson Jennifer de la Cruz said.
“We extend our deepest condolences following the tragic death of a team member of our ground handling business partner at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans,” de la Cruz said in a statement.
“Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
