A former flight attendant has filed a class-action lawsuit against United Airlines in federal court, accusing the airline of failing to pay hourly staff for work performed outside flight time.

Ava Lawrey, who worked at Newark Liberty International Airport until July 2025, claims United violated New Jersey labor laws by paying flight attendants only for time spent in the air.

The complaint, filed Sept. 15 in the U.S. District Court for New Jersey, claims United did not pay flight attendants for a range of duties performed before and after flights.

These include checking in at the airport, attending preflight meetings, completing safety checks, assisting passengers during boarding and deplaning, and waiting during layovers.

According to Lawrey, she routinely worked 12-hour shifts but rec

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