Air Hostess As a Career Option

Air Hostess As A Career Option
Let Your Dreams Take Flight
Air Hostess As A Career Option
Let Your Dreams Take Flight

Want to dress all neatly, put on some makeup and fly over the globe? Then you might want to pursue air hostess as a career which also pays very handsomely. And yes, you need to have a friendly and smiling demeanour. But, that’s not the whole story. Read on to find what it takes to be a part of this cool career line.

What All Will You Be Doing?

Air hostesses are responsible for the safety, comfort, and welfare of passengers on board. Their role can be divided into three categories:

Preflight Responsibilities:

  • You take note of the special passenger problems, weather conditions etc, which are briefed to you by the captain. You might have to relay this to passengers or have to act on this information later on.
  • You check if the emergency equipment and first-aid kits in the plane are in place.
  • You ensure toilets are clean.
  • You check beverage and meals for the passengers.
  • You greet passengers taking their flights and duly check their tickets. You also help them with storing their carry-on luggage.
  • Before taking the flight, you check if all the doors are closed and everyone has fastened their seatbelts.
  • You also point out the exit doors and the use of emergency equipment to the passengers, in case an emergency situation presents itself during the flight. Lastly, you notify the pilot that everything is in place and the flight is ready for take-off.

In-flight Responsibilities:

  • You serve pre-packed drinks and meals to the passengers.
  • You have to take care of issues pertaining to the ill health of passengers.
  • You might have to make announcements coming from the pilot. You also ensure before landing everybody’s seatbelts are fastened.
  • In case an emergency occurs, you carry out the safety drills (You’re given training for this in the air hostess academies and/or by the airlines). You ensure the safe evacuation of passengers before you leave the aircraft.

After-Landing Responsibilities:

  • You check duty-free goods’ stocks.
  • You take care of reports concerning lost and found articles, medications provided to passengers, and cabin equipment conditions.
  • Manage account sheets which show the balance of stock and cash.

Skills/Qualities Required:

Needless to say, a friendly attitude goes a long way in helping you in any career. But, it’s extra-important in the life of an air hostess. Following are the skills/qualities you should have if you want to make a career in air hostess profile.

  • You should have a ‘service aptitude’ with a friendly personality.
  • You should maintain a good physique and stay well groomed.
  • You should have good & tactful communication skills and have a clear voice & speech.
  • A team worker ability goes a long way.
  • You should be able to write good English for you’ll be writing reports.
  • You should be in good shape in terms of your health.
  • You should have the numeracy skill in order to deal with a smorgasbord of currencies and manage accounts sheets.
  • You should be resourceful.
  • You should be between 18 and 26 years of age.
  • You should be at least 157.5 centimetres in height and weight should be proportionate to height.
  • You should be unmarried.
  • You should have good eyesight with 6/24 vision in each eye.
  • You should be eligible for an Indian Passport.

Educational qualification and the Whole Procedure

For pursuing this field, you should be 12th pass in any stream. You can also be a college graduate, in any course. To become an air hostess, you can join an air hostess academy like Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training (located in Delhi and Mumbai), Air Hostess Academy (located in Bangalore, Chandigarh, Mumbai, and Pune), etc.

Many national (like Air India) and international airlines give an ad for air hostesses through newspapers. You can submit your application and appear for their respective tests. A series of exams consisting of a written test gauging mental ability, general knowledge, and verbal ability of the shortlisted candidates is conducted. Subsequent interviews and group discussions follow if you clear the written one. The last two assess your communication skills, voice, language fluency, reaction to adverse situations, and overall personality. Good knowledge of the aviation industry is always a plus point.

If you satisfy the selection parameters well enough, you get selected for further training. During this period, you’ll go through a series of written and practical tests. After you clear these, you’ll be given on-the-job training under the supervision of existing cabin crew of the airline. You might stay on probation period from anywhere between 6 months to a year. And if you perform well, you’ll be recruited as an air hostess.

The Money Talk, Finally

It’s no secret air hostesses earn really nice. The median salary itself hovers around Rs 5 lakh per annum. Depending on your experience, you can be earning anywhere between 2.24 lakhs to 12.82 lakhs per year.

Interested, are you?