As I began this post, I was reminded that just two years ago, an American Airlines flight attendant was arrested for stealing UNICEF donations while the plane was in flight. Let’s face it, the airlines understand that many of their passengers are bored silly and will usually eat or read anything put in front of them. Depending on the time of year and where the flight is going, it may be loaded with tourists who are carefree with lots of money to spend. The most captive audience unethically played!
That is the opportunity for unethical and unethical behavior in this particular case. On August 24, 2018, the Israeli police arrested a flight attendant who worked for the regional airline Israir Airlines. The airline has been asking for donations for several charitable organizations.
The unidentified “flight service manager,” or head flight attendant was arrested at Ben-Gurion International Airport. He had been with the airline for quite some time. Nevertheless, the airline noticed a pattern of behavior they didn’t like.
The passengers on the Israir flights were asked to donate money by putting money in sealed envelopes that were in the seat backs and passing the envelopes to the flight attendants as the flights were concluding.
The normal procedure was that the flight attendants, in turn, handed the envelopes to ground crews. However, on the flights where the senior attendant was assigned, it was noted that he turned over no envelopes or few envelopes.
Suspicious Behavior – The Most Captive Audience Unethically Played
On one flight as well, a fellow flight attendant observed the senior flight attendant display what has been described as suspicious behavior. It was reported to authorities and detectives were assigned to the case. When they searched the senior flight attendant’s personal belongings from that trip they found the equivalent of $550 and then a search of the apartment found opened fundraising envelopes. As this was a senior flight attendant who chiefly handled the sealed envelopes, there is no telling how much money was stolen over time. As it was cash, not credit, who could trace it?
Was the need to steal borne out of personal greed? Most probably. Flight attendants worldwide are not exactly paid high salaries, especially those who work for regional airlines. However, it takes a special lack of ethics to steal from a group of charities. Here is where rationalization must come into play.
The flight attendant probably rationalized that his passengers were rich tourists with money to burn. Israir flies throughout Israel, Europe and even to the United States. The flight attendant undoubtedly felt that $5 or $10 here and there would have no consequence to his passengers. After all, the flight attendant reasoned, who cared if a tourist was parted with a few dollars? Obviously, no matter who donated to the charities, they didn’t want to donate it to a flight attendant. The flight attendant has already admitted guilt, but did he have help?
Oversite?
While the airline didn’t steal its donated money, it is rather amazing there was so little oversight. For example, if they were insistent on accepting cash donations, why not have the gate agent come directly onto the plane and accept envelopes from passengers? Why not have passengers deposit the envelopes themselves?
There are also ways to direct passengers to donate through cell phone apps or credit card transactions that are safe and traceable.
Given the experience that Israir airlines have in the collection of donations, they probably have a fairly decent idea, route to route, what the projected donations should be. If the donations for certain flights fall significantly below the anticipated collections on a consistent basis, it should signal a casual inquiry as to why.
While the flight attendant had an opportunity to commit fraud, a personal need and a twisted sense of rationalized behavior, with a modest level of oversite much of this type of behavior could have been avoided.
While we are not blind to the fact that stealing is unethical, if there are no ethical expectations, to begin with, and no training to make sure it is reinforced, such fraud is bound to happen again. It was an embarrassing black eye to the company.
