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JetBlue flight attendant, 51, dies from coronavirus

By Janine Puhak Fox News
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A JetBlue flight attendant has died after contracting the novel coronavirus, according to the victim's cousin. The Boston-based steward was 51 years old.

Ray Pabon passed away on Monday after contracting COVID-19, his cousin Wanda Aviles told WFXT. The man, who was diabetic, was hospitalized in March after falling ill.

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“They had sedated him, because he wasn’t doing very well,” Aviles said of her late cousin’s health, which began deteriorating in recent weeks. “On Friday, they took him off the sedation, and he never came back.”

Pabon was passionate about his job as a flight attendant, and will be dearly missed, his cousin said.

“I miss him, he made a difference in many people’s lives. A lot of people loved him,” said Aviles. “Everybody misses him… everybody misses him dearly.”

Pabon is survived by his parents, who live in Georgia, WFXT reports.

A JetBlue flight attendant has died after contracting the novel coronavirus, his cousin said.

A JetBlue flight attendant has died after contracting the novel coronavirus, his cousin said. (iStock)

Pabon is the third JetBlue employee to pass away from COVID-19, the spokesperson for the airline told Fox News.

Ralph Gismondi, an active inflight crew member, and Jared Lovos, a crew member working in human resources in JetBlue’s New York City offices, both died after contracting the viral disease.

“JetBlue and our more than 23,000 crewmembers mourn their loss, and offer our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones,” the spokesperson said of the tragic news. “The safety of our crewmembers and customers is our first priority at JetBlue.”

Amid the ongoing outbreak, JetBlue has launched additional measures to protect crew members and customers, including:

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  • Increasing the rigor of cleaning and sanitization protocol on aircraft.
  • Increasing frequency of sanitization on longer aircraft turns.
  • Offering hand sanitizer and sanitizing high-touch areas in airport terminals more frequently.
  • Emphasizing the importance of handwashing and healthy hygiene among crew.
  • Providing in-flight crewmembers with medical grade gloves to wear during flights.
  • Allowing the optional usage of masks for crew members.

“As an extra precaution and in adherence with current health guidelines, we have made adjustments to our service that will minimize the physical transactions and touchpoints between our customers and crewmembers,” the spokesperson continued, highlighting the following adjustments to food and beverage service:

  • Blocking the two rows surrounding in-flight crew member jump seats.
  • Replacing snack baskets and beverage service with a single snack offering and water, continuing the complimentary food and beverage options on a more limited basis.
  • Temporarily suspending in-flight sales of products like beer, wine, or liquor,  pillows, blankets, earbuds, EatUp and Boxes, EatUp Café.
  • Temporarily suspending hot towel service
  • Temporarily suspending The Pantry, a communal grab-and-go snack and beverage area on select flights.
  • Replacing all glassware and mugs in the Mint experience with single-use items.
  • Temporarily suspending Special Meals in the Mint experience, though fresh fare from the EatUp Café, plus red and wine white served in “small, individual bottles” and beer, will continue to be made available. Bottled water also remains available at each seat.

More information about JetBlue’s adjustments to safety and service amid the coronavirus outbreak can be found here on their website.

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Since the start of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, unions representing flight attendants for major carriers including American Airlines and Southwest have claimed that hundreds of their members had been stricken with COVID-19, and a few had even succumbed to the virus.