Pregnant and flying, when are you grounded and what happens to your pay?
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#1 Colleague just found out she's pregnant and is panicking about pay. What happens by region and how should she approach it?
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#2 First: notify the airline as soon as it's confirmed, fetal radiation limits and fitness rules make early notification the rule everywhere. In Europe most airlines ground from notification and move you to ground duty or leave; EU and UK pregnant-worker law requires suitable alternative work where it exists or paid suspension where it doesn't. Pay depends on the path: paid ground duty at some carriers, reduced ground salary (flying pay stops) at many. Ask in writing on the day you notify: what ground positions exist, what pay at each stage, when each phase starts. And involve the union.
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#3 Gulf side: Etihad, Emirates and Qatar now offer temporary ground roles, the old terminate-on-pregnancy practices are gone. Notify early and ask for the ground role list.