LONDON– A British Airways (BA) flight attendant has won a workplace discrimination case after being dismissed due to anxiety and depression that left her unable to fly.
Jennifer Clifford, who joined British Airways in 1983 and was based at London Heathrow Airport (LHR), served for almost four decades before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her career. An employment tribunal found that BA unfairly dismissed her and failed to make reasonable adjustments, despite her long service record.
Representative Photo: British AirwaysBritish Airways Loses Case Against Crew
The employment tribunal heard that Clifford, an inflight manager by 2020, was placed on furlough in April that year. While on leave, she experienced work-related stress and depression, eventually being declared unfit to fly. Despite this, BA offered her a demoted cabin crew position and later reassigned her temporarily to a ground role.
Her requests for a phased return—working part-time on the ground at London Gatwick Airport (LGW) to reduce commuting stress—were rejected.
In September 2022, she was warned that failing to return to flying would lead to termination. She was later placed in the Heathrow Help Hub, assisting passengers with accessibility needs.
During this period, a manager reportedly downplayed her condition as “just a little bit of anxiety” and told her to leave if she disliked the role. By December 2022, still unable to resume flying, Clifford was dismissed, months before a formal termination date in March 2023.
Photo: British AirwaysJudge’s Findings
Employment Judge Emma Hawksworth ruled that BA discriminated against Clifford by not providing an extended and suitable phased return.
She concluded the airline should have considered a permanent ground-based role, as outlined in company policy, before deciding on dismissal.
The judge noted that Clifford’s absence was partly due to circumstances outside her control, including furlough and delays in resolving her grievance over the earlier demotion.
The tribunal upheld her claims for disability discrimination, failure to make reasonable adjustments, and unfair dismissal, but dismissed her claim of sex discrimination.
Clifford began her BA career in 1983 and had no prior history of sick leave before the pandemic. Her rise to in-flight manager reflected decades of dedicated service, making the tribunal’s decision a significant moment in recognising the rights of long-serving airline staff facing health challenges.
Representative Photo: United AirlinesSimilar Case
In June 2025, a longtime United Airlines (UA) flight attendant won the right to take her former employer to court after being terminated in Houston (IAH) in 2020 for alleged policy violations involving trip trading.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Anna Palova, who worked at United Airlines (UA) for 28 years, can proceed with her lawsuit claiming age discrimination and wrongful termination, overturning an earlier dismissal.
Anna Palova built a nearly three-decade career at United Airlines (UA) with a spotless performance and attendance record. Her employment ended abruptly in February 2020 when she and other senior flight attendants were dismissed for allegedly engaging in “trip parking,” a prohibited practice under the airline’s rules.
Trip parking involves using seniority to bid for desirable long-haul or international flights and then transferring those trips to junior crew members, often for cash or favors. United Airlines, which operates a seniority-based scheduling system, explicitly bans this activity.
Photo: United AirlinesLegal Ruling Paves Way for Lawsuit
In March 2019, United issued a company-wide warning stating it would enforce a zero-tolerance policy against such behavior. The airline implemented algorithmic monitoring to flag suspicious trip trades. Palova was among 28 flight attendants identified for what the airline called “problematic trades.”
In February 2020, she was called to a disciplinary meeting with corporate security. Her explanations were deemed unsatisfactory, leading to her dismissal on February 28, 2020, as the airline began to feel the financial effects of the emerging COVID-19 pandemic.
Following her termination, Palova filed a lawsuit alleging that United Airlines targeted older, higher-paid staff as part of cost-cutting efforts. She claimed younger employees who engaged in similar conduct faced lesser penalties or no termination at all.
A district court initially sided with the airline, ruling that the Railway Labor Act (RLA) prevented her from bringing an individual legal claim. However, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision. The court found that Palova presented sufficient evidence to warrant a trial, particularly pointing to inconsistencies in how United enforced its disciplinary rules.
This ruling means her case will move forward before a jury, a development that could influence how major U.S. airlines handle disciplinary procedures and labor policy enforcement.
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American Airlines Fired A Flight Attendant with 38 Years of Service | Exclusive
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