After Cabin Crew Courses

Have you always dream of flying? Well that dream can true with a wise choice of career in aviation sector.

Aviation sector includes aerospace engineers, air traffic controllers, airline and commercial pilots and flight attendants. This article will mainly focus on cabin crew courses.

Flight attendants or cabin crew (also known as stewards/stewardesses, air hosts/hostesses, cabin attendants) are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.

When it comes to India, there are three main types of Air Hostess courses available. They are-

• Certificate courses
• Diploma courses
• Degree courses

The above mentioned courses can be pursued directly after 12th or after completing graduation program (PG course).

Let us check out each course format in detail-

Certificate Courses

Certificate courses may be pursued by eligible candidates after completing their 12th standard schooling. Some PG certificate courses too exist. Such certificate courses are designed and crafted by the individual institutes offering them, as a result, the course duration and content may vary from one institute to another. Fast track certificate courses lasts for a period of 3 months. General certificate course lasts for a period of 6 months to 1 year. Some of the well known certificate Air Hostess courses are-

• Air Hostess training (certification)
• Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant (certification)
• Flight Purser (certification)
• Aviation Management and Hospitality (certification)
• Aviation Customer Service (certification)
• Airlines Hospitality (certification)
• Hospitality and Air travel Management (certification)
• Airline Passenger Service (certification)

Diploma Courses

Air Hostess diploma courses can be pursued right after 12th. There also exist some PG Diploma courses, which may be pursued after completing graduation. Diploma courses are also designed and crafted by individual institutes. The course duration may vary from one institute to another. The general course duration is 6- 12 months. Some well known Air Hostess diplomas in Air Hostess training are:

• Diploma in Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant training
• Diploma in Aviation and Hospitality Management
• Diploma in Aviation Customer Care
• Diploma in Hospitality and Travel Management
• PG Diploma in International Airline and Travel Management
• Diploma in Travel, Hospitality and Tourism Management

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Degree Courses

Among the 3 main course formats, Degree courses hold the most value! Typical degree course lasts for a period of 3 years. There also exist 2 years long special Degree courses, which have been designed keeping in mind the trade of Air Hostess and Aviation hospitality in. Some of the well known Air Hostess training Degree courses are-

• B.Sc. in Air Hostess training
• B.Sc. Aviation (graduates may become Air Hostess/Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant after training offered by the Airlines)
• Bachelor of Hospitality and Travel Management (graduates may become Air Hostess/Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant after training offered by the Airlines)
• Bachelor of Travel and Tourism Management (graduates may become Air Hostess/Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant after training offered by the Airlines)
• Degree in International Airline and Travel Management (graduates may become Air Hostess/Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant after training offered by the Airlines)

In the next section, you will be reading about eligibility criteria. To secure admission (and a job after completing the course), a candidate has to satisfy the following eligibility criteria-

Eligibility Criteria

The four main criteria that one must follow to pursue Air Hostess training in India are- educational qualifications, age limit, physical standards and medical standards. Lets talk about them in detail.

Education Qualification

The minimum educational qualification required to pursue Air Hostess training in India is 10+2 schooling. 12th passed students (Arts, Commerce or Science) are eligible to study Air Hostess courses.

There are some institutes out there, offering Air Hostess training courses to students who have passed 10th standard. In my view, going for Air Hostess training after 10th is not a wise decision. It would be better to go for this course after completing 12th.

There are also PG Air Hostess courses available in India. For pursuing such PG courses, possessing a graduation Degree is necessary.

Age Limit

Most institutes only accept male and female aspirants who are between the ages of 17-25 years. Age limit to a large extent depends in the policy of the institute. Some institutes have extended upper age limit and made it 26 years.

Physical Standards

• Minimum height requirement is 157 cm (for females) and 170 cm (for males). This requirement may differ from one airline to another.
• Weight of the candidate should be in proportion to his/her weight.
• Spotless skin complexion will give candidates an edge.
• Candidate has to be physically fit.

Medical Standards

• Eyesight requirements- minimum eyesight requirement is 6/9. Many airlines allow candidates to correct eyesight and make it 20/20!
• Candidate shouldn’t have had history of mental illness in the past.
• Candidate should not be suffering from serious cardiovascular disease.

Other Requirements and Qualities

Other than the above mentioned criteria, the profession of Air Hostess also demands some other qualities. Aspirants who want to build a rewarding career in this field must also have the following traits. They are-

• Smart and dynamic personality.
• Politeness and helping nature.
• Good communication skills.
• Fluency in foreign languages.
• Pleasant personality.
• Marital status- unmarried (not applicable in case of all airlines).
• Presence of mind and quick thinking.
• Leadership and team working capability.

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Admission Process

Reputed Air Hostess training institutes operate under the guidelines set by the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation). As part of this setup, admission is provided to candidates only after they pass a written test and interview. The main aim of these tests is to gauge the aptitude of the candidate!

Courses Content and Syllabus

Air Hostess courses are available in three formats- certificate, diploma and degree courses. Irrespective of the format of the course and the institute offering it, some fundamental concepts and subjects taught in this program are-

• Aircraft familiarization
• Airport familiarization
• Passenger handling
• Passenger psychology
• Flight evaluation
• In-flight procedures
• Emergency situation handling
• Food & catering services
• Personality development
• Communication skills
• Leadership and inter department coordination
• First aid
• Grooming and presentation
• Technical training (basic Aircraft functions, safety procedures etc)

Career Prospects

After course completion, one may start responding to recruitment drives held my Indian as well as International Airlines! Major Indian as well as International carriers put up notifications regarding Air Hostess/Flight Attendant recruitment on their websites, job portals and leading NEWS papers. To know the job profile and nature of the work, go through the next section-

Responsibilities Of an Air Hostess

The job of an Air Hostess is glamorous and stylish. At the same time, along with this glamour and money comes huge responsibilities. Below mentioned are some of the responsibilities resting on the shoulders of Air Hostesses-

• Taking care of in-flight announcements and inter department coordination.
• Ensuring safety of passengers.
• Ensuring comfort of passengers
• Helping passengers on board, assisting them with their luggage, seats etc
• Providing food, reading material, blankets and other such items to passengers
• Explaining safety procedures to passengers
• Assisting passengers during times of emergency/distress

Known Recuiters

Some of the well known Recruiters are-

• Air India
• Vistara
• SpiceJet
• IndiGo
• Jet Airways
• Lufthansa
• Virgin Atlantic
• Emirates Airlines
• Qatar Airways
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific

Salary

Salary of an Air Hostess depends on a number of factors such as- type of Airlines (Government operated/Private/Domestic/International), work experience, profile of the institute (from which course has been pursued) etc.

Fact is that domestic airlines pay very less in comparison to international airlines. When it comes to Government carrier, the pay will be based on the Grade pay guidelines. Generally, in case of domestic airlines, starting salary is in the region of 20-40k Rupees per month. Starting salary in case of international airlines is generally around 50k rupees per month or more. Please note that the above mentioned salary figures are revised by the authorities periodically and are thus subjected to change!

Hope this article helps you choosing the right option.