A Cabin Crew member is a person certified by the Administration and the airline to perform duties on board, related with the welfare and safety of passengers.
THE FIVE TASKS OF A CABIN CREW MEMBER
The main tasks of a Cabin Crew member could be summed up as five:
- To take care of the safety in the operation of a commercial aircraft.
- To evacuate the aircraft in case of emergency.
- To take care of the passengers’ welfare and to solve delicate issues, such as fear of flying, claustrophobia, disruptive or dangerous passengers.
- To provide the commercial services designed by the airline.
- To promote and maintain the airline public image.
Although they also perform commercial functions, it should be emphasized that the main task of the Cabin Crew members is the one related with safety issues, taking care of the passengers’ safety, and helping them evacuate the aircraft in a fast and safe way, should an emergency happen.
The functions more directly related with the safety on board performed by the Cabin Crew members are:
- To keep permanent communication with the cockpit
- To check that passengers comply with the safety instructions
- To check the presence and good state of the emergency equipment
- To check exit doors, lights, stairs, overhead bins, slides and safety belts
- To inform the passengers through the PA system about general and safety instructions
- To show the passengers the use of emergency exits, life jackets and oxygen masks
- To check periodically the different aircraft areas in order to prevent fires
Cabin Crew members are responsible for:
- To survey, control and attend the passenger cabin safety systems
- To operate systems related with the passenger cabin
- To ensure the safety in the passenger cabin throughout the flight, with special attention to turbulence incidents
- To make sure that passengers make a proper use of the oxygen masks in case of a decrease in cabin pressure
- To act in case of fire and to extinguish possible fires in the passenger cabin
- To evacuate the aircraft in case of emergency
- To cope with illicit interference acts in the aircraft standard operation
- To solve any issue regarding the passengers, first aid attention included
- To promote and maintain the public image of the airline they are working for
The Cabin Crew members take care of passengers on board:
- In standard as well as in emergency situations
- Managing the boarding of passengers
- Helping them find their seats
- Giving them information
- Supplying the gastronomical services on board
- Selling commercial articles
The Cabin Crew members training is constant throughout their professional career:
- Aeronautical matters (aircraft, navigation, meteorology)
- Aeronautical medicine and first aid attention
- Search and rescue
- Aeronautical laws and regulations
- Psychology related to passengers’ attention
- Transport of PRM (passengers with reduced mobility)
- On board services procedures
Cabin Crew members psychological profile:
- Nice physical appearance, confidence and security inspiring, transmitting optimism
- Dynamic and active persons
- Service vocation and empathy with passengers
- Ability to relate to others
- Good reaction when facing new and unexpected situations
- Ability to cope with stress and extreme situations
- Acceptance of structured work, together with the ability to improvise
- Ability to work in high-performance teams
- Assumption of a highly fragmented personal life, very determined by the job