Reaching for the skies Is flight attendant career still soaring?

Growing up we often dreamt about how flight attendants had the best jobs in the world. They flew to different countries, wore stylish uniforms, stayed in luxurious hotels, met people from diverse backgrounds, and got paid for it. We also heard they received free or discounted tickets for their families and dependents.

Being a flight attendant was once an exciting and glamourous job, full of charm and magnetism. However, today the Indian aviation industry faces significant challenges, with most airlines struggling financially. Infrastructure constraints, regulatory hurdles, a skills gap, high costs, and environmental concerns add to the sector’s difficulties. Economic strains, intensified competition, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic have severely affected job security and working conditions in this profession.

Despite all these challenges, being a flight attendant remains one of the most sought-after career options, with many students enrolling in aviation schools and courses after completing their 10+2. To work as a flight attendant, you must be at least 18 years old, though more than half of major airlines require applicants to be at least 19 or 20. At 21, you can apply to any airline. There is no upper age limit for flight attendants. To become a flight attendant, one needs to be at least 5 feet 2 inches tall. You must also have normal eyesight or corrected vision of 6/6 in both eyes.

Career as a flight attendant needs a lot of self grooming, patience, pleasing personality and excellent communication skills along with a 10+2 education in any stream or a graduation degree. In fact, it’s not mandatory to have a bachelor’s degree to become a flight attendant. But then having a degree in international language, hospitality or public relations enhances your chance of working with international airlines. Also, if you ever think of changing your job profile, then having a bachelor’s degree always helps in the aviation industry or outside. The duration of an air hostess or flight attendant course typically ranges from four to eight months. These courses often cover topics such as airport familiarisation, flight assessment, flight procedures, emergency handling, and passenger psychology. Some of the certification courses after 10+2 that you can consider are aviation management and hospitality, aviation customer service and flight attendants certificate programmes. Some institutes and colleges that provide these courses are Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training, Silver Oak College of Aviation Technology, JT Aviation College, Parul University, YWCA Women’s Training Institute, Thakur Institute of Aviation, Indus University, SAGE University, Gujarat University, Rayat Bahra University etc.

Candidates enrolled in air hostess courses undergo rigorous training, which includes hospitality, ground services, customer service, and handling aviation cargo. This comprehensive training opens the gateway to opportunities with international airlines. Some top recruiters in airlines are British Airways, Indigo Airlines, Qatar Airways, Spice Jet, Air India, Lufthansa and Emirates.