1. Flight attendant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Stewardesses" redirects here. For the 1969 3-D film, see The Stewardesses.
"Cabin crew" redirects here. For the Australian dance music duo, see Cabin Crew.
"Air Hostess" redirects here. For other uses, see Air Hostess (disambiguation).
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,[1]
and on some military aircraft.[2]
Contents
[hide]
1 History
2 Overview
o 2.1 Responsibilities
o 2.2 Chief Purser
o 2.3 Purser
3 Qualifications
o 3.1 Training
o 3.2 Language
o 3.3 Height and weight
4 Uniforms and presentation
5 In advertising
6 Unions
o 6.1 Discrimination
7 Roles in emergencies
o 7.1 September 11, 2001
o 7.2 Other emergencies
8 In popular culture
9 Notable flight attendants
10 References
11 External links
[edit]History

2. Flight attendant, circa 1949-1950,American Overseas Airlines, Flagship Denmark, Boeing 377 Stratocruiser
The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar positions on passenger ships orpassenger trains, but it
has more direct involvement with passengers because of the confined quarters on aircraft. Additionally, the job
of a flight attendant revolves around safety to a much greater extent than those of similar staff on other forms of
transportation. Flight attendants on board a flight collectively form a cabin crew, as distinguished
from pilots andengineers in the cockpit.
Heinrich Kubis was Germany's (and the world's) first flight attendant, in 1912.[3]
Origins of the word "steward" in transportation are reflected in the term "chief steward" as used in maritime
transport terminology. The term purser and chief steward are often used interchangeably describing personnel
with similar duties among seafaring occupations. This lingual derivation results from the
international British maritime tradition (i.e. chief mate) dating back to the 14th century and the civilian United
States Merchant Marine on which USaviation is somewhat modeled. Due to international conventions and
agreements, in which all ships' personnel who sail internationally are similarly documented by their respective
countries, the U.S. Merchant Marine assigns such duties to the chief steward in the overallrank and command
structure of which pursers are not positionally represented or rostered.
Imperial Airways of the United Kingdom had "cabin boys" or "stewards"; in the 1920s. In the USA, Stout
Airways was the first to employ stewards in 1926, working on Ford Trimotor planes between Detroit and Grand
Rapids, Michigan. Western Airlines (1928) andPan American World Airways (Pan Am) (1929) were the first US
carriers to employ stewards to serve food. Ten-passenger Fokkeraircraft used in the Caribbean had stewards
in the era of gambling trips to Havana, Cuba from Key West, Florida. Lead flight attendants would in many
instances also perform the role of purser, steward, or chief steward in modern aviation terminology.
The first female flight attendant was a 25-year-old registered nurse named Ellen Church.[4]
Hired by United
Airlines in 1930,[5]
she also first envisioned nurses on aircraft. Other airlines followed suit, hiring nurses to serve
as flight attendants, then called "stewardesses" or "air hostesses", on most of their flights. In the United States,
the job was one of only a few in the 1930s to permit women, which, coupled with The Great Depression, led to
large numbers of applicants for the few positions available. Two thousand women applied for just 43 positions
offered by Transcontinental and Western Airlines in December 1935.[6]
Female flight attendants rapidly replaced male ones, and by 1936, they had all but taken over the role.[5]
They
were selected not only for their knowledge but also for their characteristics. A 1936 New York Times article
described the requirements:

3. "The girls who qualify for hostesses must be petite; weight 100 to 118 pounds; height 5 feet to 5 feet 4
inches; age 20 to 26 years. Add to that the rigid physical examination each must undergo four times
every year, and you are assured of the bloom that goes with perfect health."[5]
Three decades later, a 1966 New York Times classified ad for stewardesses at Eastern Airlines listed these
requirements:
"A high school graduate, single (widows and divorcees with no children considered), 20 years of age
(girls 19 1/2 may apply for future consideration). 5’2” but no more than 5’9,” weight 105 to 135 in
proportion to height and have at least 20/40 vision without glasses."[7]
In the United States, they were required to be unmarried and were fired if they decided to wed.[6]
The
requirement to be a registered nurse on an American airline was relaxed as more women were hired,[6]
and it
disappeared almost entirely during World War II as many nurses enlisted in the armed forces.[citation needed]
In
1962, Bona of Pisa, a 12th-century pilgrim, was canonised by Pope John XXIII as patron saint of air
hostesses.[8]
[edit]Overview
Flight attendants on Tiger Airwaysconducting Duty-Free Sales
Busy Lufthansa male and female flight-attendants in crowded galley

4. The primary role of a flight attendant is to ensure passenger safety. In addition to this, flight attendants are
often tasked with customer service duties such as serving meals and drinks, as a secondary responsibility.[9][10]
The number of flight attendants required on flights are mandated by international safety regulations. For planes
with up to 19 passenger seats, no flight attendant is needed.[11]
For larger planes, one flight attendant per 50
passenger seats is needed.[11]
The majority of flight attendants for most airlines are female, though a substantial number of males have
entered the industry since the 1970s.[citation needed]
[edit]Responsibilities
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help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources.
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(August 2008)
A Lufthansa flight attendant performing apre-flight safety demonstration
Prior to each flight, flight attendants attend a safety briefing with the pilots and lead flight attendant. During this
briefing they go over safety and emergency checklists, the locations and amounts of emergency equipment and
other features specific to that aircraft type. Boarding particulars are verified, such as special needs passengers,
small children traveling as unaccompanied or VIPs. Weather conditions are discussed including
anticipated turbulence. Prior to each flight a safety check is conducted to ensure all equipment such as life-
vests, torches (flashlights) and firefighting equipment are on board, in the right quantity, and in proper
condition. Any unserviceable or missing items must be reported and rectified prior to takeoff. They must
monitor the cabin for any unusual smells or situations. They assist with the loading of carry-on baggage,
checking for weight, size and dangerous goods. They make sure those sitting in emergency exit rows are
willing and able to assist in an evacuation and move those who are not willing or able out of the row into
another seat. They then must do a safety demonstration or monitor passengers as they watch a safety video.
They then must "secure the cabin" ensuring tray tables are stowed, seats are in their upright positions,
armrests down and carry-ons stowed correctly and seat belts are fastened prior to takeoff. All the service
between boarding and take-off is called Pre Take off Service.[9]

5. Once up in the air, flight attendants will usually serve drinks and/or food to passengers. When not performing
customer service duties, flight attendants must periodically conduct cabin checks and listen for any unusual
noises or situations. Checks must also be done on the lavatory to ensure the smoke detector hasn't been
deactivated and to restock supplies as needed. Regular cockpit checks must be done to ensure the pilot's
health and safety. They must also respond to call lights dealing with special requests. During turbulence, flight
attendants must ensure the cabin is secure. Prior to landing all loose items, trays and rubbish must be collected
and secured along with service and galley equipment. All hot liquids must be disposed of. A final cabin check
must then be completed prior tolanding. It is vital that flight attendants remain aware as the majority of
emergencies occur during takeoff and landing.[citation needed]
Upon landing, flight attendants must remain stationed
at exits and monitor the airplane and cabin as passengers disembark the plane. They also assist any special
needs passengers and small children off the airplane and escort children, while following the proper paperwork
and ID process to escort them to the designated person picking them up.
Flight attendants are trained to deal with a wide variety of emergencies, and are trained in First Aid. More
frequent situations may include a bleeding nose, illness, small injuries, intoxicated passengers, aggressive and
anxiety stricken passengers. Emergency training includes rejected takeoffs, emergency landings, cardiac and
in-flight medical situations, smoke in the cabin, fires,depressurization, on-board births and deaths, dangerous
goods and spills in the cabin, emergency evacuations, hijackings, water landings, and sea, jungle, arctic, and
desert survival skills.[citation needed]
Flight attendant in an Embraer ERJ 145 LRof PBair, Thailand

6. Swiss stewardess serving orange juice
Stewardess in a Swiss flight fromLondon to Zurich
[edit]Chief Purser
The Chief Purser (CP), also titled as Inflight Service Manager (ISM), Cabin Service Manager (CSM) or Cabin
Service Director (CSD) is the senior flight attendant in the chain of command of flight attendants. While not
necessarily the most senior crew members on a flight (in years of service to their respective carrier), Chief
Pursers can have varying levels of "in-flight" or "on board" bidding seniority or tenure in relation to their flying
partners. To reach this position, a crew member requires some minimum years of service as flight attendant.
Further training is mandatory, and Chief Pursers typically earn a higher salary than flight attendants because of
the added responsibility and managerial role.
[edit]Purser
The Purser is in-charge of the cabin crew, in a specific section of a larger aircraft, or the whole aircraft itself (if
the purser is the highest ranking). On board a larger aircraft, Pursers assist the Chief Purser in managing the
cabin. Pursers are flight attendants or a related job, typically with an airline for several years prior to application
for, and further training to become a purser, and normally earn a higher salary than flight attendants because of
the added responsibility and supervisory role.
[edit]Qualifications

7. [edit]Training
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help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources.
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(September
2009)
Flight attendants are normally trained in the hub or headquarters city of an airline over a period that may run
from four weeks to six months, depending on the country and airline. The main focus of training is safety. One
of the most elaborate training facilities was Breech Academy which Trans World Airlines (TWA) opened in 1969
in Overland Park, Kansas. Other airlines were to also send their attendants to the school. However, during the
fare wars the school's viability declined and it closed around 1988.
Safety training includes, but is not limited to: emergency passenger evacuation management, use of
evacuation slides/life rafts, in-flight firefighting, survival in the jungle, sea, desert, ice, first
aid, CPR, defibrillation, ditching/emergency landing procedures,decompression emergencies, Crew Resource
Management and security.
In the United States the Federal Aviation Administration requires flight attendants on aircraft with 20 or more
seats to hold a Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency. This is not considered to be the equivalent of an airman
certificate (licence), although it is issued on the same card stock. It shows that a level of required training has
been met. It is not limited to the airline at which the attendant is employed (although some initial documents
showed where the holder was working), and is the attendant's personal property. It does have two ratings,
called Group I and II. Either or both of these may be earned depending upon the type of aircraft
(propeller or turbofan) on which the holder has trained.[12]
There are also training schools, not affiliated with any particular airline, where students generally not only
undergo generic, though otherwise practically identical, training to flight attendants employed by an airline, but
also take curriculum modules to help them gain employment. These schools often use actual airline equipment
for their lessons, though some are equipped with full simulator cabins capable of replicating a number of
emergency situations. In some countries, such as France, a degree is required, together with theCertificat de
Formation à la Sécurité (safety training certificate).[13]
[edit]Language
Multilingual flight attendants are often in demand to accommodate international travellers. The languages most
in demand, other thanEnglish,
are French, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Arabic, German, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish[14]
andGre
ek.[citation needed]
In the United States, airlines with international routes pay an additional stipend for language skills
on top of flight pay, and some airlines hire specifically for certain languages when launching international
destinations.

8. [edit]Height and weight
Most airlines have height requirements for safety reasons, making sure that all flight attendants can reach
overhead safety equipment. Typically, the acceptable height for this is 160 to 185 cm (5 ft 3 in to 6 ft 1 in)
tall.[15]
Some airlines, such as EVA Air, have height requirements for purely aesthetic purposes. Regional
carriers using small aircraft with low ceilings can have height restrictions.
Flight attendants are also subject to weight requirements as well. Weight must usually be in proportion to
height; persons outside the normal range may not be qualified to act as flight attendants.[16]
[edit]Uniforms and presentation
Garuda Indonesia flight attendants uniform featuring kebaya and paranggondosuli batik

9. Singapore Girls, female flight attendants of Singapore Airlines
The first stewardess uniforms were designed to be durable, practical, and inspire confidence in passengers.
The first stewardesses for United Airlines wore green berets, green capes and nurse's shoes. Other airlines,
such as Eastern Air Lines, actually dressed stewardesses in nurses' uniforms.
Perhaps reflecting the military aviation background of many commercial aviation pioneers, many early uniforms
had a strongly military appearance; hats, jackets, and skirts showed simple straight lines and military details
like epaulettes and brass buttons. Many uniforms had a summer and winter version, differentiated
by colours and fabrics appropriate to theseason: navy blue for winter, for example, khaki for summer. But as
the role of women in the air grew, and airline companies began to realise the publicity value of their
stewardesses, more feminine lines and colours began to appear in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Some
airlines began to commission designs from high-end department stores and still others called in
noted designers or even milliners to create distinctive and attractive apparel.
Flight attendants are generally expected to show a high level of personal grooming such as appropriate use
of cosmetics and thorough personal hygiene.
Flight attendants must not have any tattoos visible when a uniform is worn. These requirements are designed
to give the airlines a positive representation.
[edit]In advertising
In the 1960s and 1970s, many airlines began advertising the attractiveness and friendliness of their
stewardesses. National Airlines began a "Fly Me"; campaign using attractive stewardesses with taglines such
as "I'm Lorraine. Fly me to Orlando." (A low budget 1973 film about three flight attendants, Fly Me,
starring Lenore Kasdorf, was based on the ad campaign.) Braniff International Airways, presented a campaign
known as the "Air Strip" with similarly attractive young stewardesses changing uniforms mid-flight.[17]
A policy of
at least one airline required that only unmarried women could be flight attendants.[18]
Flight
attendantRozHanby became a minor celebrity when she became the face of British Airways in their "Fly the
Flag" advertising campaign over a 7 year period in the 1980s. Singapore Airlines is currently one of the few
airlines still choosing to use the image of their stewardesses, known as Singapore Girls, in their advertising
material. However, this is starting to be phased out, in favour of advertising which emphasises the modernity of
their fleet.
[edit]Unions
Flight attendant unions were formed, beginning at United Airlines in the 1940s, to negotiate improvements in
pay, benefits and working conditions.[19]
Those unions would later challenge what they perceived

10. as sexist stereotypes and unfair work practices such as age limits, size limits, limitations on marriage, and
prohibition of pregnancy. Many of these limitations have been lifted by judicial mandates. The largest flight
attendants' union is the Association of Flight Attendants, representing over 60,000 flight attendants at 21
airlines within the US.[20]
In the UK, cabin crew can be represented by either Cabin Crew '89, or the much larger and more
powerful Transport and General Workers' Union.
In Australia, flight attendants are represented by the Flight Attendants' Association of Australia (FAAA). There
are two divisions: one for international crews (long-haul) and one for domestic crews (short-haul).
In New Zealand, flight attendants can be represented by either the Flight Attendants and Related Services
Association (FARSA) or by the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU).
In Canada, flight attendants are represented by either the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) or by
the Canadian Flight Attendants Union (CFAU).
[edit]Discrimination
Originally female flight attendants were required to be single upon hiring, and were fired if they got married,
exceeded weight regulations, or reached age 32 or 35 depending on the airline.[21]
In the 1970s the
group Stewardesses for Women's Rights protested sexist advertising and company discrimination, and brought
many cases to court. The age restriction was eliminated in 1970.[21]
The no-marriage rule was eliminated
throughout the US airline industry by the 1980s.[22]
The last such broad categorical discrimination, the weight
restrictions,[23]
were eliminated in the 1990s through litigation and negotiations.[24]
By the end of the 1970s, the
termstewardess had generally been replaced by the gender-neutral alternative flight attendant. More recently
the term cabin crew or cabin staff has begun to replace 'flight attendants' in some parts of the world, because of
the term's recognition of their role as members of the crew.
[edit]Roles in emergencies
Actions of flight attendants in emergencies have long been credited in saving lives; in the United States,
the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and other aviation authorities view flight attendants as
essential for safety, and are thus required on Part 121aircraft operations. Studies, some done in light of British
Airtours Flight 28M, have concluded that assertive cabin crew are essential for the rapid evacuation of
aeroplanes.[25][26]
Notable examples of cabin crew actions include:
[edit]September 11, 2001
The role of flight attendants received heightened prominence after the September 11 attacks when flight
attendants (such as Sandra W. Bradshaw and CeeCee Lyles of United Airlines Flight 93, Robert Fangman
of United Airlines Flight 175, Renee May of American Airlines Flight 77 and Betty Ong and Madeline Amy

11. Sweeney of American Airlines Flight 11) actively attempted to protect passengers from assault, and also
provided vital information to air traffic controllers on the hijackings.[27]
In the wake of these attacks, many flight attendants at major airlines were laid off because of decreased
passenger loads