An air line worker at San Antonio International airport was killed late Friday night after being “ingested” into a Delta Air Lines that had just arrived from Los Angeles.
The worker was employed by Unifi Aviation, a company Delta and other airlines contract with to support ground handling operations. The airline said it was fully supporting investigations into the incident.
“Unifi Aviation is deeply saddened by the loss of our employee at San Antonio International Airport during a tragic incident in the late hours of Friday, June 23, 2023,” the company said in a statement to KENS5. “Our hearts go out to the family of the deceased, and we remain focused on supporting our employees on the ground and ensuring they are being taken care of during this time.”
“From our initial investigation, this incident was unrelated to Unifi’s operational processes, safety procedures and policies,” the statement continued. “Out of respect for the deceased, we will not be sharing any additional information. While police and other officials continue to investigate this incident, we defer to them on providing further details.”
This follows an incident where OSHA fine Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines, was fined for the death of a worker in Alabama that killed a ground crew worker in a similar fashion.
The New York Post reports, “The Occupational Health and Safety Administration levied the fine against Piedmont Airlines after investigators found it was responsible for a safety breach that led to the death of Courtney Edwards, a mother of three, at Montgomery Regional Airport on Dec. 31.”