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Five American Airlines flight attendants have been awarded $18.6 million due to the toxic uniforms they were required to wear. A jury in California reached this decision based on the physical and mental health problems the crew members experienced, as well as financial losses, both past and future.
That’s quite remarkable, especially considering that the airline won a similar case brought by a different group of flight attendants less than two months ago. But what exactly made these uniforms so harmful to the crew?
The American Airlines uniforms
American Airlines has been dealing with uniform issues for nearly a decade. The problems started with a new line developed in 2015. Despite early signs of chemical use in the fabric, the airline still distributed the uniforms. In September 2016, 65,000 employees received them.
It didn’t take long for complaints to start rolling in. Around 5,000 flight attendants reported various symptoms including rashes, hives, blisters, migraines, shortness of breath, and hair loss. By early 2017, American Airlines allowed affected employees to purchase alternative clothing at their own discretion. The company quickly distanced itself from the 1.5 million uniforms it had ordered from manufacturer Twin Hill. Despite the swift action, flight attendants were frustrated and, by mid-2017, filed a lawsuit against the airline.
Although employees received an entirely new set of uniforms in 2020, legal proceedings are still ongoing. The first case was heard in 2023, where a California court ruled in favor of four plaintiffs, awarding them a total of $1 million in compensation. Evidence in the case included research from the Harvard School of Public Health, which examined the chemicals used in the uniforms.
That’s why it came as a surprise when Twin Hill and American Airlines won the second lawsuit in April 2025. A district judge in Illinois ruled that it could not be proven that the uniforms had made employees sick. Attention was also directed at the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA). According to the court, their use of a reporting system to gather complaints may have artificially increased the number of reported issues.
Image below: The 2016 uniforms that caused allergic reactions.
American Airlines flight attendants awarded $18 million for toxic uniforms
Last week, a third lawsuit concluded with a different outcome: five flight attendants were once again found to be in the right. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs argued that the Twin Hill uniforms contained formaldehyde, a pungent chemical known to cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory system upon repeated exposure. It’s also linked to increased risks of certain cancers, such as nasal and throat cancer.
The Alameda Superior Court jury in Northern California ruled that Twin Hill had been negligent, failing to ensure the uniforms were “as safe as an ordinary consumer would have expected them to be when used or misused in a reasonably foreseeable way.”
The court awarded a total of $18.6 million to the five plaintiffs. One of them, Virginia Hardy, received $203,500 for past economic loss, as her health issues left her unable to work. She was also awarded $229,283 for future economic losses, $2 million for past mental and physical suffering, and $1.5 million for future suffering. The ruling states that Twin Hill will cover 90% of the total damages, while American Airlines is responsible for 10%.
More flight attendants seek compensation
These three lawsuits are just the beginning of what’s expected to be a long legal battle. Approximately 400 more (former) employees are seeking compensation as well. That means many more cases are sure to follow. And as always, I’ll keep you posted.
Warm regards,
Aileen