Live From APATS: Aviation’s Role In Combatting Human Trafficking With Matt Friedman
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At APATS 2025 in Singapore, Halldale spoke with Matt Friedman, CEO of The Mekong Club and global expert on human trafficking, to explore aviation’s role in identifying and responding to the staggering number of trafficking incidents worldwide.
In conversation with Halldale Correspondent Atul Chandra, Friedman said 50 million people are currently living in modern slavery, a number that exceeds the entire populations of Australia and Canada.
He noted that one in every 150 people globally is affected, and that airports are a key transit point, with traffickers often relying on commercial flights to move victims across borders.
Friedman highlighted how cabin crew are uniquely positioned to observe interactions and respond discreetly, often making the difference between safety and continued exploitation.
He gave a real-world examples of an Alaska Airline staff member recognising signs of distress and taking action, such as a case where a flight attendant intervened after noticing suspicious behaviour between two passengers, ultimately leading to an arrest upon landing.
Friedland, who works is the CEO of The Mekong Club, has been fighting human trafficking for more than 30 years. He spoke at APATS on the issue, giving his expertise and insights on how to go about building out training programmes for this real and growing threat
.The conversation highlighted the need to embed trafficking awareness into standard aviation training, not just as a compliance measure, but as a frontline safety strategy.
