Aruba Airlines to pay $75K settlement for pregnancy discrimination case

An Aruba Airlines Airbus lands at Miami Airport.
Venkat Mangudi, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Len Varley - Assistant Editor 4 Min Read
4 Min Read

Aruban carrier Aruba Airlines will pay $75,000 to settle a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

According to EEOC’s lawsuit, Aruba Airlines violated federal law when a pregnant employee in its Miami corporate office was terminated soon after announcing her pregnancy.

Lawsuit outcome


The US Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy. The EEOC filed its lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division, after first attempting to reach a settlement through its conciliation process.

In addition to paying $75,000 in monetary relief, the four-year consent decree states that should Aruba Airlines resume its U.S. operations, it will adopt and enforce a policy against discrimination based on pregnancy.

In addition, the airline must provide anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation training to human resources personnel, managers, and employees.

It has to ensure employees are aware of their rights and complaint procedures and management and human resources personnel are aware of their obligations to prevent workplace discrimination and how to address complaints.

The decree also requires Aruba Airlines to provide EEOC with reports of any complaints of pregnancy discrimination and describe its actions taken in response to each complaint.

EEOC comments


In commenting on the lawsuit outcome, the EEOC recognised the airline’s preparedness to put preventative measures and personnel training systems into place.

“We commend Aruba Airlines for working collaboratively with EEOC to resolve this lawsuit,” said EEOC Regional Attorney Robert Weisberg.

“The company’s willingness to address the EEOC’s concerns and its agreement to implement preventative measures and train management and human resources personnel on how to address complaints of pregnancy discrimination will benefit its workers and the company.”

“The failure by employers to effectively address pregnancy discrimination in the workplace remains a persistent problem,” said EEOC Miami District Director Evangeline Hawthorne.  

“The commitment by Aruba Airlines to address this problem by taking strong, affirmative measures will help ensure equal opportunity for employees.”

About Aruba Airlines


Aruba is a small island nation located in the southern Caribbean Sea, approximately 29 kilometers north of the coast of Venezuela.

It is one of the four constituent countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the Netherlands, Curacao, and Sint Maarten.

Aruba Airlines is a small regional airline based in Aruba that operates scheduled and charter flights to various destinations in the Caribbean, South America, and the United States. The airline was founded in 2006 and began operations in 2013.

Aruba Airlines’ fleet consists of two Airbus A320-200 aircraft and one Embraer E190-100LR aircraft, which are configured with a single-class cabin and can accommodate up to 150 passengers. The airline offers a range of in-flight services, including complimentary meals and beverages, as well as in-flight entertainment.

The airline’s primary hub is Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA) in Aruba, and it operates flights to destinations such as Bonaire, Curacao, Colombia, Miami, and Santo Domingo, among others.

Despite its relatively small size, Aruba Airlines has gained a reputation for its customer service and safety record.

The airline has received several awards, including the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award for Best Regional Airline in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2020.

The airline operates a primary maintenance base in Miami, Florida.

You Might Also Enjoy