Kimberly Duffy claims her male counterparts “engaged in similar or more serious conduct” than her cited reason for removal, but the men were never terminated
NEED TO KNOW
- Kimberly Duffy alleges she was fired by Avelo Airlines after reporting alleged FAA safety violations committed by a male captain
- The lawsuit claims Duffy faced retaliation and discrimination and says she is Avelo Airlines’ only female captain
- Duffy is seeking damages and a permanent injunction to restore her record in the Pilot Records Database
Avelo Airlines, a Houston-based low-cost carrier, is facing a new lawsuit accusing the company of sex-based discrimination and retaliation against a female captain.
A civil complaint, obtained by PEOPLE, filed in the U.S. District Court of Connecticut on April 23, claims commercial airline captain Kimberly Duffy’s employment was terminated after “documenting serious Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulatory violations by a male captain.” The complaint further alleges Duffy’s male counterparts “engaged in similar or more serious conduct” than her cited reason for removal, but the men were never terminated.
Duffy was first hired as a full-time captain for Avelo in September 2023, according to the complaint. During her entire employment, she claims she was the company’s only female captain.
On Feb. 19, 2025, Duffy claims she was assigned to Avelo flight 465 from her base in Tweed-New Haven Airport in Connecticut to Tampa, Fla., per the complaint. Duffy reports serving as a first officer while a male employee served as captain. However, during the flight, Duffy claims to have observed “multiple serious violations of FAA regulations,” which she documented in a formal safety report, allegedly submitted on Feb. 20. Two days later, she reportedly filed another safety report detailing a mentor’s “unsafe line training practices.”…