Airports Council International-North America’s Senior Vice President of Security Christopher Bidwell has been selected by U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine Chao to represent the airport industry on the National In-Flight Sexual Misconduct Task Force (Task Force), a subcommittee of the Department’s Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee.
Established by The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, the Task Force brings representatives from all facets of the travel industry together to examine current practices, protocols, and requirements of U.S. airlines in responding to and reporting allegations of sexual misconduct by passengers on commercial flights. The Task Force will also provide recommendations on best practices relating to training, reporting, and data collection for incidents of sexual misconduct by passengers.
The other members selected by Secretary Chao to serve on the Task Force are:
- Allison Ausband, Senior Vice President for In Flight Service, Delta Air Lines, as representative of airlines.
- Katherine Chon, Director of Office on Trafficking in Persons, HHS, as representative of HHS.
- Darlene Hutchinson Biehl, Director of Office for Victims of Crime, DOJ, as representative of DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime.
- Judith S. Kaleta, Deputy General Counsel, DOT, as DOT representative and Chair of Sexual Misconduct Task Force.
- David L. Maggard, Chief, Los Angeles Airport Police, as representative of state and local law enforcement agencies.
- Sunitha Menon, Chief of Consulting Services Operations, Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), as representative of national organizations providing services to sexual assault victims.
- Lyn Montgomery, President, Transport Workers Union – Local 556, as representative of labor organizations representing flight attendants.
- Kaori Paris, United Airlines Pilot, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), as representative of labor organizations representing pilots.
- Eben Peck, Executive Vice President of Advocacy, American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), as representative of national travel organizations.
- Sharon Pinkerton, Senior Vice President for Legislative and Regulatory Policy, Airlines for America, as representative of airlines.
- Matthew Ploskunak, Program Manager of International Violent Crimes, FBI, as representative of the FBI.
- Frances Smith, Adjunct Fellow, Competitive Enterprise Institute, as a representative of consumers.
- Katherine Sullivan, Acting Director of Office on Violence Against Women, DOJ, as representative of DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women.
The full announcement on the Task Force can be found on the DOT’s website.
