Five female pilots have settled a lawsuit with Frontier Airlines that alleged discrimination against pregnant and breastfeeding employees.
As part of the agreement, "which does not admit any liability," Frontier put forth a number of new policies to "better address the needs of pregnant and lactating pilots," according to a press release.
Most notably, Frontier will allow pilots to pump breast milk during "noncritical phases" of flights. This makes Frontier one of the first airlines to set this precedent.
The airline will continue to permit breastfeeding pilots to reduce flying time, and has agreed to treat pregnancy and breastfeeding the same as other medical conditions if pilots are unable to fly.
"This settlement should serve as a strong message to employers — especially airline employers — that reasonable accommodations such as those agreed to by Frontier are good for workers, good for families, good for business, and required by the law. We're hopeful this will inspire more change and stronger protections for workers across the airline industry," said Aditi Fruitwala, staff attorney for the ACLU's Center for Liberty, in a press release.
The ACLU, the ACLU of Colorado, Holwell Shuster & Goldberg LLP, and Towards Justice filed the original lawsuit in 2019 on behalf of the pilots.
Last year, Frontier settled a similar lawsuit with flight attendants, according to The Associated Press. The employees in this case alleged Frontier forced them to take unpaid leave for pregnancy-related absences, and did not allow them to pump breast milk while working.
