A British Airways flight attendant who was sacked after developing a fear of flying has won a discrimination claim against the airline. Jennifer Clifford, who worked for BA for almost 40 years, was dismissed in December 2022 after she was declared medically unfit to fly due to anxiety and depression.
An employment tribunal in Reading heard that Ms Clifford, 59, had an unblemished record before the pandemic. She was placed on furlough in April 2020 and later on sick leave after suffering from stress and depression. Despite proposing a phased return to ground duties, BA terminated her employment when she could not resume flying by the end of 2022.
The tribunal found that BA failed to make reasonable adjustments and that her manager, Nigel Landy, minimised her condition by describing it as “just a little bit of anxiety”. Judge Emma Hawksworth ruled that Ms Clifford’s long service should have been taken into account and that the airline should have made more effort to find her alternative ground-based employment.
Ms Clifford joined BA in 1983 and rose to the rank of inflight manager. During the pandemic, she was told she would be made redundant but later offered a lower-grade role, which she challenged. She remained on furlough until September 2021, then went on sick leave for the first time in her career.
The tribunal upheld her claims of disability discrimination, failure to make reasonable adjustments, and unfair dismissal. A remedy hearing will be scheduled to determine compensation.
