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French court recognizes flight attendant's breast cancer as work-related
🇬🇷 Greece /Crime & Justice

French court recognizes flight attendant's breast cancer as work-related

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A French court has recognized a former Air France flight attendant's breast cancer as an occupational illness, a first for the French aviation sector.
  • The ruling cited factors including night work, radiation exposure, and passive smoking during her 30-year career.
  • This landmark decision may set a precedent for other aviation workers seeking similar recognition for work-related illnesses.

A groundbreaking court decision in France has recognized a former Air France flight attendant's breast cancer as an occupational illness, potentially opening doors for other aviation workers with similar claims. Sophie Lenoir, 59, won a 2.5-year legal battle when the Bayonne court ruled in early July that her work was a cause of the cancer she developed.

The ruling is now final as no appeal was filed, according to her lawyer, Elisabeth Lero, who stated it establishes a legal precedent. Lenoir worked for Air France from 1989 to 2019, accumulating over 12,600 flight hours, more than half of which were at night. The court placed significant weight on three factors Lenoir was exposed to: systematic night work, ionizing radiation, and passive smoking, noting that smoking was permitted on Air France flights until 2000.

This judicial victory came despite previous rejections by two regional committees responsible for recognizing occupational diseases, which had not proven a link. Breast cancer is not currently on France's official list of occupational diseases, making its recognition a difficult and lengthy process.

my greatest wish is truly that this opens the way for other women who perhaps did not dare until now

— Sophie LenoirExpressing her hope that the ruling will empower others.

Lenoir, whose illness is now in remission, stated the ruling will allow her to retire early. "My greatest wish is truly that this opens the way for other women who perhaps did not dare until now," she told AFP. Scientific studies have suggested a potential link between systematic night work and an increased risk of cancer in women.

This is not the first time a French court has linked breast cancer to working conditions. In 2023, a nurse who worked night shifts for 28 years and was exposed to radiation also succeeded in having her illness recognized as occupational. Air France stated it was not a party to the proceedings and had not been informed of the court's reasoning, but affirmed that employee health and safety are a top priority.

Health and safety of employees in the workplace are an absolute priority

— Air FranceStating the company's commitment to employee well-being.
About this summary

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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