Always In-Flight, In Demand

Take your first steps towards a jet-set lifestyle with India’s buoyant airline industry, which has triggered a demand for talented cabin crew not just in India but also globally…

- Amita Jain

They wear captivating uniforms, but don’t bat an eyelid when it comes to mopping a spill. Welcome on-board to the world of cabin crew! Don’t be mistaken by those perfectly hemmed skirts, tucked-in shirts and warm smiles, the life of a cabin crew is quite challenging. “People have a very superficial view of cabin crew or air hostess or flight attendant, whatever you may call it. They think we just look pretty, dress up and visit different places, but there is more. It is a very challenging job. We are trained to put out fires, both literally and metaphorically,” says Chetna Sharma, who is working as a cabin crew for both domestic and international flights.

Cabin Crew: Working in style

Cabin crew is the face of an airline. So, working under pressure and in style becomes a core part of their work profile. Every aircraft has two types of crew, a cockpit crew and a cabin crew. Cockpit crew generally comprises two pilots, one flying and another monitoring pilot. Cabin crew consists of an in-flight service manager or cabin services head, crew or flight attendants, a flight medic and a loadmaster. The inflight service manager is the team leader of the entire cabin crew.

Crew or flight attendants are those who are responsible for passengers’ safety and comfort. On the other hand, the flight medic is a specialized paramedic who is on board in case of any emergency and a loadmaster is responsible for loading freight and personnel onto the airplane.

Describing the composition, Chetna explains, “Take Airbus 320 for an example, it has a maximum of five cabin crew and two pilots, who together are called aircrew. Crew, which is not in the cockpit and takes care of the galley, passengers and pilots, is called cabin crew.”