How To Become An Airhostess: Eligibility, Job Responsibilities and Career Progression

The profession of an airhostess is attractive since it allows a person to experience frequent flying. There are a number of young aspirants who want to build a career as an air hostess. The career of an air hostess has a span of 8 -10 years, and beyond that, there are two ways. Either they progress as senior flight attendants or head attendants. This article will guide you on how to become an airhostess, the eligibility criteria and further career opportunities.

Table of Contents

• Job Responsibilities of An Air Hostess
• What skills are required to become an airhostess?
• How To Become An Airhostess: Eligibility Criteria
• Courses To Enrol in To Become Airhostess
• Career Progression Of An Airhostess

Job Responsibilities of An Air Hostess

Airhostess have the following job responsibilities include:

• Giving safety instructions, answering passenger queries, and making important announcements.
• Understanding passengers' concerns, especially those who may be nervous or require special assistance, and addressing them appropriately.
• Offering food, beverages, and other amenities in a professional manner.
• Training passengers on how to use safety equipment such as oxygen masks, seat belts, and life jackets.
• Conducting safety inspections to ensure that all equipment is functioning correctly before takeoff.
• Ensuring that meals, safety checks, and other services are completed efficiently within the flight duration.
• Coordinating with fellow crew members and supervising passengers to maintain order and safety.
• Providing medical assistance to passengers in case of illness or injury.
• Handling complaints, conflicts, or unruly passengers with patience and diplomacy.
• Reassuring passengers and keeping them informed during flight delays or cancellations.
• Leading passengers during emergency evacuations and ensuring their safety. They need to guide passengers during emergencies like turbulence, fire, or other medical crises.

What skills are required to become an airhostess?

Employers take the physical attributes of the individuals into consideration. However, some of the most required skills to work as an airhostess include:

1. Excellent Communication Skills: Communication is an important skill for airhostess. They must be able to communicate clearly and effectively with passengers, pilots, and other crew members.
2. Management Skills: Airhostess are responsible for managing various tasks and situations during a flight. They should be able to manage limited resources like food, beverages, and emergency supplies to meet passengers’ needs. They need to have management skills such as time management, resource Management and people management.
3. Emergency Management Skills: Handling emergencies is an important part of the air hostess job role. They must be prepared to act quickly and efficiently. They should have hands-on experience in first-aid and evacuation processes.
4. Hospitality Management: The role of an airhostess involves providing a pleasant and comfortable experience for passengers. Their job responsibility covers welcoming passengers on flight, assisting them with seating, and ensuring their comfort throughout the flight.
5. Navigation Skills: While airhostess are not responsible for flying the plane, they need basic navigation knowledge to assist passengers and understand flight routes. They should have the basic knowledge of the route, expected turbulence zones, and duration of the flight to provide accurate information to passengers.
6. Fundamental Knowledge of Aircraft:  It is also important that they have a familiarity with the aircraft layout, including emergency exits, to guide passengers during evacuations. Having a basic understanding of the aircraft is essential for safety and service.

How To Become An Airhostess: Eligibility Criteria

The following aspects are required to be fulfilled by those who want to progress their career as air hostess:

• The minimum educational qualification to become an airhostess is passing high school i.e. 10+2. 
• Candidates need to have a 6/6 vision.
• Airlines look out for aspirants aged between 18 - 27 years.
• The minimum height requirement is 155 cm for females and 163 cm for male candidates.
• Interested candidates need to have a strong command of the English language. In case, the candidate is applying for an international airline, they need to have the knowledge of the required foreign language.
• There should be no visible tattoos on the body.

Courses To Enrol In For Becoming Airhostess

Several institutes in India offer the following airhostess courses, certifications, diplomas and degree programmes for those who plan to choose a career as an airhostess:

• Certification in In-Flight 
• Diploma in Air Hostess and Flight /Cruise/ Stewardship-Online
• PG Diploma in Aviation (Cabin Crew & Air hostess) 
• Certificate in Hospitality, Travel and Customer Service 
• Post Graduate Certificate in Airport Ground Services 
• Diploma in Airhostess Training
• Diploma in Aviation Safety and Hospitality (Air Hostess/Cabin Crew/Ground Staff) 

Career Progression Of An Airhostess

An airhostess can witness the career progression as mentioned below:

Position	Job Responsibility	Experience Required
Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant	Entry-level position focused on in-flight safety and service.	0-2 years
Senior Cabin Crew	Leads a team of flight attendants, and supervises operations.	2-3 years
Purser/ Chief flight attendant	Senior flight attendant responsible for the entire cabin crew.	4-5 years
Inflight Trainer/Instructor	Training new flight attendants and conducting training.	5+ years
Cabin Crew Supervisor/ Manager	Oversees day-to-day operations of cabin crew and services.	5+ years
Ground Operations	Administrative roles like customer service or flight operations.	5-10 years

Challenges To Deal With in the Airhostess Profession

Those who want to understand how to become an airhostess must also be aware of the challenges in this profession:

• Air hostesses often work on irregular schedules, including early mornings, late nights, weekends, and holidays.
• The demands of being on your feet for long hours, moving around the cabin, and assisting passengers can take a physical toll. 
• Air hostesses frequently encounter passengers who may be rude, disruptive, or intoxicated. Managing passenger behaviour, especially during long or turbulent flights, can be challenging.
• Being constantly exposed to changes in cabin pressure, air quality, and varying temperatures can affect the health of air hostesses.
• Air hostesses often have to deal with being away from home for extended periods, which can strain personal relationships, social interactions, and family life. 
• Air hostesses frequently travel across different time zones, which can lead to jet lag and disruptions in their natural body clock. 
• While air hostesses are trained to handle various emergency situations, there are always risks associated with flying, including turbulence, medical emergencies, and potential security threats like hijacking or disruptive passengers.

The profession of an airhostess demands a candidate who can handle stress, long working hours, public interaction and irregular work routine. An airhostess cannot expect a work routine like a regular 9-5 employee since their job is in the air and depends on the flight schedule and unexpected circumstances. To build a career as an airhostess, one has to be both physically and mentally fit since one may have to deal with passengers of a difficult nature as well.