Story ID: 
NBAA Encourages Members about Human Trafficking Fight
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: DHS and DOT are hosting webinars on the Blue Lightning Initiative that trains aviation workers on identifying and reporting human trafficking.
Word Count: 225
NBAA is encouraging its members to learn about the Blue Lightning Initiative (BLI) to see how they can help in the battle against human trafficking. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Transportation are hosting webinars on August 17 and 18 to discuss BLI, which trains frontline personnel on how to identify and report potential human trafficking situations.

“The business aviation community supports the BLI’s effort to stop human trafficking, and I hope members will join me in attending one of these webinars,” said Brian Koester, NBAA’s director of flight operations and regulations, asking members to register so they will have a better understanding on how to spot signs of human trafficking.

Congress in 2016 required air carriers to provide flight attendant training regarding recognizing and responding to potential human trafficking victims and then in 2018 expanded the requirement to include “ticket counter agents, gate agents, and other air carrier workers whose jobs require regular interaction with passengers.” More than 100,000 aviation personnel have undergone the BLI training, which involves a 17-minute module that is broken into four sections: What is Human Trafficking; Indicators of Human Trafficking Activity; Reporting Suspected Human Trafficking; and Indicator Challenge.

NBAA said DHS has reported that law enforcement continues to receive actionable tips on human trafficking, thanks in part to BLI.