Air Cabin Crew

Air cabin crew are the main point of contact for air passengers and are responsible for ensuring that they have a safe journey, as well as one that is pleasant and comfortable.

Cabin crew teams are trained to deal with the safety and security of passengers during a flight, which can include directing passengers in emergency situations. They also prepare the aircraft for flight and deal with passenger needs, including serving food and drink and providing assistance with boarding and disembarking.

Before boarding the aircraft, the air cabin crew are briefed about their flight. Then, once on board, they may be responsible for:

checking the plane is clean and tidy and stocked with food and drinks
checking emergency equipment is working
liaising with other airport staff, such as ground handling services, about aircraft load weight and passenger numbers
overseeing the boarding of passengers
making sure passengers’ hand luggage is safely stored away and that all passengers are wearing seat belts
informing passengers of the aircraft safety procedures
serving and selling meals, drinks, gifts and duty-free products
communicating with the pilot or captain during the flight and sharing information with passengers
dealing with any problems that passengers have during the flight, for example if they fall ill or if they are disturbing other passengers
making sure passengers disembark safely on landing.

In addition to these tasks, air cabin crew are also required to complete paperwork such as flight reports and bar paperwork.

Hours and environment

There is no typical working week for air cabin crew. They work irregular hours on a rota including nights, public holidays and weekends. Part-time and seasonal work may also be possible.

Cabin crew have to be flexible about the routes that they fly. Some air cabin crew may work only on short flights, such as European or internal flights. Others may work on long-haul flights, with long periods spent away from home.

The working environment is demanding. Cabin space is restricted and the galley where cabin crew prepare meals and refreshments is a small area. A lot of time is spent moving from galley to cabin, standing up and attending to passengers. Cabin crew may experience jetlag due to crossing different time zones in a single flight.

Air cabin crew wear a uniform and must be well groomed, with no visible tattoos or body piercings. They must clearly wear their company identification badge/pass at all times.

Salary and other benefits

These figures are only a guide, as actual rates of pay may vary, depending on the employer and where people live.

When first qualified, air cabin crew may earn €18,000 to €20,000 a year.
Experienced air cabin crew may earn from €25,000 to €35,000 a year.
After several years’ experience, senior air cabin crew may earn €45,000 or more.

In addition, crew members may be given flight and meals allowances. Some airlines also offer additional payments for particular skills (for example, first aid) or for working certain flights.

Skills and personal qualities

Air cabin crew should:

have a confident, friendly and welcoming manner
have excellent communication skills and a clear speaking voice
be tactful and assertive, able to deal with difficult situations politely but firmly
have common sense and be ready for any situation, from a medical emergency to a nervous passenger who has never flown before
have a calm and reassuring manner
work well as part of a team
be able to work quickly and efficiently under pressure
be physically fit
be well organised.

Interests

It is important for air cabin crew to:

enjoy providing a high level of customer service
be interested in travel.

Getting in

Air cabin crew work for airlines; these can range from small budget airlines to large international companies.

Competition for jobs can be intense and opportunities for new recruits have become less common. Airlines often run open days for cabin crew recruitment which enable anyone who is interested to attend and go through the first stage of the application process. These events are often oversubscribed.

Job vacancies are advertised by individual airlines, mainly on their websites but also in local and national newspapers. Some companies may also use aviation magazines and websites.

Airlines often set the following requirements for applicants:

a minimum age of 18 to 21
height normally between 155cm and 190cm and weight in proportion to height (restrictions do vary but tend to fall within these boundaries.)
physical fitness, with the ability to swim at least 25 metres
normal colour vision and good eyesight
a valid passport allowing unrestricted world travel.

In addition, previous experience in a customer service role is usually required. Cabin crew will also be subject to criminal records checks for airport security clearance.

There are many qualifications that can be useful for people who want to work as air cabin crew including wide range of Further Education courses (generally NFQ levels 5 and 6) available to give you a good foundation for a career in ‘travel’, such as Airline Cabin Crew & Tourism Studies or International Airline Studies.

Training

Airlines run their own structured training programmes, which usually last from four to six weeks. These cover areas including:

safety and security
customer relations and passenger care
first aid
food preparation and service
product knowledge
equipment usage procedures
customs and immigration regulations
cultural awareness
assertiveness training
sales and bar paperwork.

The training is a mixture of theoretical and practical knowledge development. Much of the learning takes place in role-play situations.

Having completed their training, newly qualified air cabin crew have a probationary period of three to six months. During this time they are monitored by their trainers or senior members of staff.

Getting on

Promotion prospects vary from one airline to another and depend on level of competence as well as experience. Progression can be quick for suitable candidates.

There may be opportunities to move into ground-based employment, such as passenger check-in, or to work as a trainer of cabin crew. Some cabin crew may also go on to senior roles within airlines such as flight or aircraft operations.

There may be opportunities to work abroad in cabin crew roles for other airlines based overseas or for Irish airlines with international bases.