Date: 201603
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing
Operator: Air Carrier
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Parked
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Reporter qualification: Flight Attendant Current
Human factors: Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Flight Attendant
When detected: Aircraft In Service At Gate
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Company Policy; Human Factors
Primary problem: Company Policy

Narrative: We arrived 14 minutes late due to storms enroute. Customer Service (CS) came to gate even before cleaners could come on; and said she was checking us in and was going to bring the wheelchairs down. I stopped her and said we do not stage. She replied; 'yes we do! You handle the airplane I handle the jetway.'Soon after she started sending 3 wheelchairs down; I came up to the boarding gate and asked that they stop. Another CS said they had the supervisor's authorization. At that point; I could not do anything else; but to let them bring the wheelchairs down. I took a picture of the wheelchair staging on the jetway. Also available is [a picture at another airport] where they too like to stage wheelchairs.I [notified the] Captain and after explaining to him; I asked to see a supervisor. One showed up; and gave me his card; [it was the] Supervisor Airport Operations. I asked him if he was aware his CS were bringing passengers with wheelchairs down prior to boarding; even when cleaners were still cleaning the plane (this was such a half fast job that the cleaners did not even empty my first class garbage; I had to take the cart in the back and empty it prior to commencing the leg back). CS told me he had some flight attendant tell him the same thing and he took up the chain of command; who told him it is okay to stage wheelchairs on the jetway. I said; 'you asked the higher ups?' he confirmed. I told him I was going to check this up by filling a report.Here is the issue; staging not only wheelchairs; but also passengers prior to boarding; in the interest of leaving on time. The jetway is the only egress area we have; and the CS should not stage anyone in case there is an emergency. Let alone a wheelchair. Not only will it become problematic; but also having to turn those wheelchairs back and wheel them out; will impede others from evacuating the airplane; area and jetway.Please keep in mind that as CS stage these passengers; they are putting their lives at risk as well. The [ground crew] is fueling planes; baggage carts are being moved on the ramp. Food trucks are opening and closing doors of airplanes; as all these things are happening outside there can be possible hazardous; emergencies that could escalate to fire; explosion etc. Not only this will impede the flight attendants; pilots; ramp (mechanics; in and out of cockpit; fuel personnel); cleaners; food service people; and passengers now being staged on jetways because someone higher up said it was okay to do so. It is understandable that [some] places; have many wheelchair and ambulatory passengers; who also travel; and now they are being placed at risk as well.Staging is a bottle neck. Someone yells or sees fire; and we have all these wheel chairs blocking the only exit we have. Some of these passengers are ambulatory and cannot move; run; or walk. It is unacceptable that someone authorized them to stage wheelchairs on the jetway. Should there have been a reversal in policy; FAA should require the company to print out this information to the Unions. This way; the CS can assume the liability for these negligence; as higher ups; continue to make decisions based on probabilities; and not reality of the Job. No stage should ever be done; due to risks that exist when airplanes are being serviced with fuel; and other externalities on the ground.




Synopsis: Air carrier Flight Attendant reported that customer service representatives are staging wheel chair passengers in the jetway at some stations in order to speed up boarding once the flight attendants are ready. He believes this is unsafe and a violation of company policy.