Former Air France flight attendant Sophie Lainault has won a court ruling recognizing her breast cancer as an occupational disease, the first such ruling in the French aviation industry. The decision is final and will allow the 59-year-old to take early retirement, according to The Guardian.

Lainault worked as a flight attendant from 1989 to 2019, logging more than 12,600 flight hours, over half of them at night. The court recognized a direct link between her illness and occupational risk factors, including regular night shifts, exposure to ionizing radiation and secondhand smoke, which was permitted on board until 2000.

As breast cancer is not included on France’s official list of occupational diseases, the legal battle lasted two and a half years. Lawyers and unions said the ruling could pave the way for similar claims by other women working in the sector.

(max)