Do you often wonder about “How to become an air hostess”, but don’t know where to start? If you have always dreamt of flying, traveling across the world and interacting with different people & cultures then the air hostess job is a perfect fit for you.
The aviation industry is growing by leaps and bounds across the globe, therefore the future is bright. Today, an air hostess is more likely to be referred to as a flight attendant, cabin crew, flight stewardess or cabin attendant.
Our step-by-step guide on “How to become an air hostess” covers everything you need to know about becoming an Air Hostess in India.
Any 12th passed students, diploma holders, as well as graduates, may refer to this guide.
Job Requirements:
The eligibility criteria for becoming an air hostess is:
- Age Limit: Minimum age of 18 to 26 years
- Language: Mastery in spoken English and another foreign language
- Education: 10+2 degree or any graduate degrees like a diploma in hospitality
- Height: Minimum height requirement 57.5 centimeters, Weight proportionate to the height
- Status: Unmarried (Not all airlines have this condition)
- Swimming: Must be able to swim 25 meters
- Eyesight: Good eyesight
- Passport: Valid passport
- Fitness: Should be medically fit
- Complexion: No scars or blemishes on Face
Note: With this, you should not have any criminal records. Visible tattoos and piercings are strongly discouraged, and staff is required to wear a uniform.
Also, read about the training courses, skills required, steps on how to become a pilot.
Behavioral Skills Required:
To be successful it is important to be very good at customer care and to be highly sociable as well as good at carrying out a variety of tasks under time pressure. Just usual qualifications like educational, physical or medical are not enough for becoming an Air Hostess. You need to have an impressive skill set as well.
When recruiters recruit air hostesses they are looking for professional people with a positive viewpoint and an empathetic nature.
This job prefers candidates who have certain skills that reflect their personality. For instance,
- Punctuality
- Team Spirit
- Customer Service Skills
- A calm and reassuring manner
- Presence of mind and initiative
- Welcoming manner
- Well Groomed & Physically fit
- Common sense & a systematic approach to duty
- Language proficiency and interactive skills
- Diplomacy and tact
- Sense of responsibility
- Patience to work long hours
- Positive attitude & Stress Tolerance
- Adaptability & Flexibility
Check out complete list of Airport Jobs in India
Job Responsibilities:
The air cabin crew share responsibility for the safety and comfort of their passengers. Mainly, the tasks depend upon whether it is a short or long flight and the size of the team. The role of an air hostess can be emotionally & physically demanding. As an air hostess, you have to react to emergencies and stressful situations calmly and reassuringly.
However, duties include:
- To welcome the passengers with a smile when they board and showing them their seats.
- Giving special attention to certain passengers, such as the elderly, differently-abled & the one with the infants.
- An important job is to inform the passengers about the safety measures and procedures
- To keep a check that every passenger’s luggage is safe and secure at storage.
- Checking the seat belts of all the passengers when the aircraft is ready to take-off
- After the settlement of the passengers; meals & refreshments will be served.
- Providing passengers with newspapers, magazines, and in-flight entertainment
- Checking the condition and provision of emergency equipment.
- Demonstrating emergency equipment and safety procedures
- Provide first aid to passengers in case of medical emergencies.
- Selling duty-free commercial goods and pursuing sales targets
- Assure comfort to every passenger till the end of the flight.
- Thanking every passenger after the landing of the flight.
- At last, producing written flight reports after completing a journey. To give any suggestion or file a complaint about anything not on board.
Courses:
No matter how tempting this profession may sound it calls for an ample amount of hard work. To be an Air Hostess you have to be the best in hospitality and public service, always have a positive attitude with a smiling face no matter how worse situations are.
Physical and mental strength is a big ask because you sometimes have to give shifts for more than 10-12 hours. To make a career as an air hostess/steward take admissions here:
Examination
Each Airline company conducts entrance exams for recruiting Air Hostesses. It is divided into 3 stages.
1. Written Examination
The first stage is a written exam test your aptitude and reasoning. The exam pattern is quite similar to other competitive exams where they ask multiple types of objective questions.
2. Group Dynamics
The second stage is a group discussion where you will be tested for your leadership quality, attitude, presence of mind, communication skills, teamwork, etc.
3. Interview
The third and final round is one on one interview. Here the company will judge your overall personality. The selected candidates will be trained for the next six months by the company.
Courses:
If you have finalized your decision to apply for an Air Hostess job, then you must join for a course depending upon your educational qualification.
Find here, three types of courses available:
Certificate Courses: 10+2 passed students are eligible to pursue this course. Usually, the duration of the course is 6 months to 1 Year but a few fast track courses can be just 3 months long. The training will provide them hands-on experience and theoretical knowledge about the profession.
Here is the list of all the certificate courses that are accepted for this job:
- Aviation Management and Hospitality
- Aviation Customer ServiceCabin Crew/Flight Attendant
- Air Hostess Management
- Air Hostess Training
- Airlines Hospitality
Diploma Courses:
Diploma courses can also be pursued after 10+2. PG Diploma courses can be attempted only after graduation. The duration of the course is the same as a certificate course.
These certificates & courses are made by individual institutes. The list of diploma courses available are:
Diploma in:
- Air Hostess Training
- Cabin Crew/Flight Attendant Training
- Aviation and Hospitality Management
- Hospitality and Travel Management
Degree Courses:
Most Important courses out of all three are Degree course. The duration of the course is 3 years long and you have to be 10+2.
- B.Sc in Air Hostess Training
- Bachelor of Hospitality and Travel Management
- B.Sc in Aviation
- Bachelor of Travel and Tourism Management
Air hostess Training Institute/Academy:
Choosing your career as an air hostess is quite a promising option. There are so many institutes available but these 5 are the best.
- Rai University, Ahmedabad.
- Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess, New Delhi, and Mumbai
- Rajiv Gandhi Memorial College of Aeronautics, Jaipur
- Air Hostess Academy, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai
- Universal Aviation Academy, Chennai
Companies:
After completing your course successfully you are ready to get hired in the following top airline companies-
- Air India
- Singapore Airlines
- Indian Airlines
- Alliance Air
- Lufthansa
- Go Air
- Jet Airways
- Indigo
- Gulf Air
Air Hostess Salary in India:
With a boom in the aviation sector, jobs for the Air Hostess/ Flight Attendants/ cabin crew members have certainly increased. International flights tend to be better than domestic ones. In domestic airlines, the salary of an air hostess lies somewhere between 25,000-40,000 & the senior level hostess gets paid up to 50,000-70,000.
And international flights can pay up to Rs 80,000 depending on your work experience. In fact, some luxurious international airlines pay Rs 100,000 to Rs 200,000 per month to their senior air hostesses.
Moreover, companies also provide benefits like medical insurance, retirement plan, additional allowances and in house flight discounts to the employee (and their family members).
The career of an Air Hostess:
After about 10 years as an air hostess, you can move to jobs such as Check Hostess, training of air hostess, Ground hostess or work with the management level. If you are approaching for promotion then regular study & skill development is a constant thing.
Male Air Hostess:
Men can also become part of the aircrew just like women. This whole article applies to men in the same way as it applies to women. Mostly, women choose the career of air hostess but those men who choose this career are ‘Flight Stewards’.
