What 3 flight attendants have to say about working in Canada's 'hardest hit' industry

Flight attendants haven't had it easy since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

"It's had a huge impact on the industry," said Nola Munro, a flight attendant for Yukon-based airline Air North. "In fact, I think this is one of the hardest hit industries in the pandemic."

As passenger traffic has dropped dramatically across the industry, airlines like Air North have been forced to cut flight schedules and lay off employees.

For the people that spend their workday interacting with passengers, the pandemic has forced changes to their style.

"Flight attendants … love interacting, but we have to be so cautious, that we're not able to get in there and interact as we normally do," Munro said.

That's been tough, says Roxanne Stanley-Lyslo, a fellow Air North flight attendant. When passengers are travelling for medical reasons, she said, attendants would normally go out of their way to assist them onboard.

"We can't do that now, because you can't touch anybody now. So that one's been really hard," she said.

During the pandemic, passengers are seated seats apart, and attendants disinfect surfaces and seatbelts with medical wipes after every flight.

Antje Beaman, another Air North attendant, said that should give passengers peace of mind.

"I think the general public is a bit hesitant to board an aircraft during these times," she said.

"[But] I feel that there's no need to be hesitant ... all the precautions are taken by the airlines, by the flight crews, [and] by the pilots."