Flight Attendant Job - Career with a difference

Flight Attendant Job demands the airline employee to be responsible for safety and personal comfort of passengers traveling with an airline they work for. Duties in a typical Flight Attendant job is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), however the same may vary slightly from airline to airline depending on the type of aircraft flown by them. Each individual undergoing training for flight attendant job are trained in emergency evacuation procedures, crew coordination activities, security procedures and first aid, they are also briefed on weather and flying time by captain of the flight before the journey. There job demands them to check passenger safety devices and to oversee that the aircraft is well stocked with supplies.

Flight attendants welcome passengers while boarding, check the tickets, direct them to the seats, and assist them with their coats and luggage. Flight Attendants during the course of their job also briefs the passengers safety procedures before takeoff. While at cruise level, the attendants ensure that passenger seat safety belts are fastened whenever required; serve drinks, light refreshments, or precooked meals; distribute materials for reading; and answer general queries of passengers'.

Very important but often forgotten part in the job of flight attendants is to assist passengers during emergencies, which includes reassuring passengers to opening doors and inflating emergency slides for evacuation. They are also trained to provide first aid.

Airlines generally operate a flight with one to ten flight attendants which also depends on the fleet of planes operated by the airline. A typical Boeing 747 can have as many as twelve to sixteen flight attendants. The turnover of flight attendant job which used to be traditionally very high has shown a decline in the last few years as more and more individuals are getting career conscious. Year 2007 should show an increase in flight attendant job openings due to the higher replacement needs of airlines.

Replacement need arises due to flight attendants leaving career or just leaving the labor force for better airlines. Employment of Flight Attendants is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2007. Growth in population and income is expected to increase the number of airline passengers. Airlines enlarge their capacity by increasing the number and size of planes in operation. More flight attendant job vacancies are bound to arise with acquisition of new aircrafts and also since Federal Aviation Administration safety rules require one attendant for every 50 seats flown.

Competition for jobs as Flight Attendants is expected to remain very keen because the number of applicants is expected to greatly exceed the number of job openings. The glamour of the airline industry and the opportunity to travel and meet people attract many applicants. For more information on the flight attendant training and career.

Author is a pioneer in the Flight Attendant training field with an experience of 10 years in consulting and human resource strategising, visit her at http://www.flightattendanttrainingonline.com