Air Cabin Crew

Job Description:

Air cabin crew look after passengers on a flight, checking safety measures are in place and delivering customer service.

Job Category:

Automotive & Aviation

See Automotive & Aviation jobs

What you will do:

Before a flight you could be:

taking part in a meeting about the flight and its schedule
checking that there are enough supplies on the plane and that emergency
equipment is working properly
greeting passengers
demonstrating emergency equipment and procedures

During a flight you might be:

making sure passengers are comfortable
serving food and drinks, and selling duty-free items
making announcements
reassuring passengers in the event of an emergency, and making sure they
follow safety procedures

At the end of a flight you’ll often be:

making sure passengers leave the plane safely
writing a flight report, including about any unusual incidents
adding up and recording food and drink orders, and duty-free sales

Skills:

You’ll need:

knowledge of public safety and security
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

You’ll need:

customer service skills for working with passengers – a desire to help people and a friendly manner
sensitivity and understanding for dealing with customers’ needs
excellent verbal communication skills
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations – the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
to enjoy working with other people (teamwork)
a polite but firm approach
number skills for handling money

Illustration of employee looking at workspace

Entry Requirements:

You’ll usually need:

to be at least 18 (21 for some airlines)
In the UK, GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) or equivalent, in English and maths
the ability to swim
a valid passport with no restrictions for the countries the airline travels to

You’ll also need clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

You’ll find it useful to have experience in a customer service role. It may also help if you can speak a second language.

You could also get into this job through an apprenticeship.

Working Hours and Environment:

You’ll work shifts that include weekends, nights and public holidays. The amount of time you’ll spend away from home will depend on the flight routes you choose to work on.

The work can be physically demanding, and you’ll spend time working in small spaces like the kitchen galley.

The airline will provide you with a uniform.

Career Path & Progression:

With experience, you could progress to cabin crew supervisor or a senior air cabin crew role.

You could also work in a ground-based role like cabin crew training, recruitment, passenger services, marketing or sales.