Air Hostess Courses

An air hostess also known as cabin crew, steward or flight attendant, ensures that passengers are comfortable and safe during their flight. Some of the popular diploma/ certificate Air Hostess or Cabin Crew Courses are Cabin Crew, BBA/MBA Aviation and MBA Aviation Management among others. The duration of these programmes ranges from a couple of months to a year. One can also pursue a degree course of 3 years in aviation, hospitality, management, air hostess training, airport ground service, etc. in order to become a flight attendant. Air Hostess or Cabin Crew Courses provide extensive training as a part of their curriculum. The minimum requirements for these courses are passing class 12, being fluent in Hindi, English and a foreign language, a valid Indian passport without any restrictions and being physically and mentally fit (good eyesight, height and weight). Most of the programmes are provided in offline mode. However, a few diploma and certificate courses are available in online mode also.

Some of the top air hostess institutes in India are Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training, CCAT, and Spicejet. The selection process of these colleges often includes an entrance exam like AIAEE, NCHMCT JEE, AEEE etc. Some educational institutes also conduct an interview to the shortest candidates for Air Hostess or Cabin Crew Course admissions. The course fee for air hostess training may be anywhere between INR 80,000 to INR 1,50,000 while popular air hostess training institutes charge may be around INR 1,00,000 - INR 2,00,000 per annum. After completing the required course, aspirants can start exploring employment opportunities with top recruiters like SpiceJet, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, IndiGo, Air India, Air Asia, Vistara, GoAir etc. On average, the monthly salary may range from INR 25,000 to INR 40,000. It will keep on increasing with time and experience.

Any candidate who has the following qualifications can join a course for air hostesses to make a career in the aviation industry.

• Candidates must be within the age limit of 18 and 25 years.
• They must pass their class 12 exams or any bachelor's degree in order to be eligible to apply.
• For female air hostess candidates, a minimum height of 157.5 cm and a weight proportionate to the height is a requirement.
• Similarly for male counterparts or flight stewards, one has to have an undergraduate degree and be less than 26 years of age. They need to have a minimum height of 163 cm and proportionate weight. 
• Candidates also must be unmarried with normal eyesight of 6/6 uncorrected vision in each eye.
• One must also be fluent in Hindi, English and having the knowledge of a foreign language is an advantage.

Air hostess is one of the most sought-after career options after completion of class 12 and graduation. Many young people dream of having a career as an air hostess so that they can earn a handsome salary and travel the world. It is a dream job for people who love meeting and interacting with new people on a daily basis.

There are multiple choices that are available to future air hostesses such as certificate and diploma courses along with bachelor's and master's programs. However, the eligibility criteria for each of these courses vary.

Here is a tabular list of courses available under air hostess and cabin crew:

There are various points of difference between the job responsibilities of an air hostess and that of a ground attendant.

Location of work

A flight attendant operates at high altitudes and serves the needs of passengers. They ensure that the flight is smooth by coordinating with the cabin crew, passengers and pilots. 

A ground attendant is responsible for working at altitudes that are below sea level at various places. They work at the check-in, at the gate during the boarding, terminal and in the business class lounges as well. 

Type of work

When passengers check in, they are assisted by ground attendants. They check all the travel documents and weigh the baggage. They also are stationed at the gate to let passengers on board. When the onboarding process is completed, they hand over a list of all the passengers who have checked in with flight attendants.

Flight attendants count passengers inside on the basis of the list provided by the ground attendant. They are also responsible for explaining the safety instructions and providing people with everything they need during the flight.

The process of admission for air hostess and cabin crew courses is quite simple. One needs to fulfil certain eligibility requirements in order to become a flight attendant. 

• Fluency in English, Hindi, and any other foreign language 
• One has to be within the age limit and 18 and 26 years.
• 10+2 must be completed from a recognised board followed by an undergraduate degree.
• A minimum height of 157.5 centimetres and weight proportionate to the same respective height is required.
• Candidate must also be eligible to carry an Indian passport
• Be unmarried
• Have perfect eyesight
• Maintain good health

After fulfilling these basic criteria, candidates can apply to the various air hostess and cabin crew training institutes. 

There is an initial screening that is followed by a written test, group discussion and personal interviews. After the completion of this process, selected candidates are required to go through the necessary training procedures.

Here is a list of some of the popular air hostess and cabin crew training institutes and colleges in India:

• Sage University
• Aptech Aviation and Hospitality Academy
• NIMS University
• SOA Neemrana
• AeroEngineers Vidyapeeth Private Limited
• CMC Coimbatore
• Indira Gandhi Institute of Aeronautics
•  Sristys Aviation- Sristys School of Air Hostess

There is a lot of scope of studying air hostess and cabin crew courses abroad. However, there are some requirements that candidates need to fulfil such as:

Physical requirements:

• One should be less than 25 years of age to step into the sector of aviation.
• The minimum height requirement is 5’-5’2’’ with proportionate body weight as per the height
• Having an attractive personality also provides candidates with an edge
• There is no fixed age for retirement as long as one passes all the medical requirements

Educational requirements

Candidates who have not completed their 10+2 are required to appear for the GED test which is the General Educational Development Test.

• Candidates with a graduate degree have a better chance of getting selected in air hostess training courses as it helps you to be prepared to tackle situations and makes them more experienced.
• After being selected for the training course as an air hostess, candidates will receive 6 months of training. 

Experience

Aspiring candidates who have been exposed to the public service industry have the experience of working and interacting with people from all walks of life. This allows them to be better than their counterparts and increases their chances of being selected for air hostess positions and as a part of the cabin crew.

If you are passionate about becoming an air hostess and be a part of the cabin crew, you can also choose to study air hostess training courses from some of the top-ranked universities in the world. Check out the list of the 10 best universities for air hostess training abroad:

Andhra Pradesh

Aviation Institute of Advanced Technology (AIAT,) Visakhapatnam 

Chandigarh

Indira Gandhi Institute of Aeronautics

Delhi

Aptech Aviation and Hospitality

AeroEngineers Vidyapeeth Private Limited

SOA Delhi

Gujarat

Asia Pacific Institute of Management

Indus University

Haryana 

Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Mullana 

Karnataka

Aptech Aviation and Hospitality Academy

Aimfill International

Srinivas University

Srinivas University- College of Aviation

International Institute of Aviation Pvt Ltd

Skybird Aviation

 Madhya Pradesh

Sage University

Maharashtra

Indira Gandhi Institute of Aeronautics

LATA Mumbai

Institute of Aviation and Aviation Safety

SGI Pune

Airline Prep School, Mumbai

Punjab

Sristys Aviation- Sristys School of Air Hostess

Rayat Bahra University

Rajasthan 

NIMS University

SOA Neemrana

Slyph Air, Jaipur

Tamil Nadu

CMC Coimbatore

Indira Gandhi Institute of Aeronautics

Kasturi Institute of Management 

Fighter Wings Aviation Academy

MH Cockpit Aviation Academy

Flybhaarath International College

Remo International College of Aviation

AAA Chennai

VELS University Chennai

Uttarakhand 

Quantum University

Uttar Pradesh 

MKITM Lucknow

Amity University

Telangana

Skybird Aviation

Vainavi Educational Institutions

The cost of air hostess and cabin crew training depends on the institute of choice made by candidates. However, on average, the cost of air hostess training can be around INR 80,000 and INR 1,50,000 per year. Candidates are advised to check colleges and institutes’ websites before applying for any course.

We have compiled a list of skills that an air hostess should have and they are listed below:

Communication skills

One of the most important skills for an air hostess to possess is the ability to communicate effectively as a significant part of the job is to relay information and instructions to the passengers on board. Air hostesses also need to understand the needs of the passengers in order to fulfil them. Good communication skills come in handy when one is trying to communicate with crew members to finish certain tasks and ensure that the takeoff and landing take place without any glitches.

Teamwork

Cabin crew members are to work with a crew of four or more people and since there are innumerable tasks to be carried out, one cannot be a single player. Hence it is imperative that one knows how to function as a part of the team and communicate effectively with them. 

Customer service

The third most important skill to possess for any crew member is to serve food and beverages to passengers and help them out with any queries they may have during the course of their flight. Passengers are to be made comfortable and this is where customer service skills become useful.

Amiability

Another important aspect of customer service is making yourself approachable. People can only feel comfortable when they are asking for things as long as cabin crews do not look intimidating. This is crucial if any passengers have safety-related queries. Any simple gestures such as greeting passengers when they are boarding the flight, and smiling at them for being amiable will go a long way with your passengers. 

Cultural Awareness

Being aware of different cultures and their practices is another important skill for flight attendants to possess. This is mainly because people board a flight from every corner of the world and each of them has its own practices and customs. While some acts might be considered normal in one culture, might turn out to be offensive in others. So having sound knowledge of various cultures in the world does mean that the chances of offending anyone will be minimised. 

Assertiveness

Being in a metal tube that is flying dozens of kilometres above the ground is dangerous. There are many safety checks that are to be performed and many precautions need to be taken. However, as a flight attendant, one is bound to come across unruly passengers who assume that they know better than the professionals. Hence, to overcome such unpleasant situations, crew members should know when to be assertive and explain the rules. However, one needs to remember that there is a fine line between being assertive and being aggressive.

The course curriculum for air hostesses and cabin crew involves training candidates in various aspects of the flight, aircraft and the airport. They are also taught about customer service, ways of handling emergency situations, etc. This training is considered to be intensive and one needs to show determination and grit to successfully complete the training procedure.

There are various subjects that are taught during cabin crew training. Here is a list of subjects that air hostesses are supposed to study:

• Aircraft familiarisation
• Food and catering services
• Flight evaluation
• First aid
• Leadership and inter-department coordination
• Emergency situation handling
• Airport familiarisation
• Communication skills
• Technical training (safety procedures, basic aircraft functions, etc)
• In-flight procedures
• Personality development
• Passenger handling
• Grooming and presentation

There are excellent growth opportunities in the career as an air hostess. After the completion of the course and training, candidates have the opportunity to work in domestic airlines. With more experience, air hostesses and cabin crew can work with different international airlines as well. There is no upper age limitation for retirement as air hostesses, but one needs to pass all the medical requirements in order to be in the line of service. Post-retirement job prospects include working in the ticketing department, operations, customer service, araining air hostesses, etc.

An air hostess’ salary depends on the type of airline and the reputation of the airline, and the experience of the air hostess. When it comes to domestic airlines, the salary of air hostesses ranges from INR 25,000 to 40,0000 per month and with further experience, goes up to a range of INR 80,000 - 1,25,000 per month. For international flights, the salary starts from INR 50,000 per month.

The job responsibilities of an air hostess depend on the requirements of the flight. But there are some basic responsibilities that are categorised as follows:

• On-ground responsibilities which are for the time before the flight takes off
• In-flight responsibilities which are to be carried out during the flight
• Landing responsibilities that are to be carried out after the flight lands

On ground responsibilities

Here are some of the basic in-flight duties of an air hostess:

• Ensuring that the emergency medical kits are stocked and available in the aircraft.
• Ensure that toilets are clean and hygienic.
• Make sure that there are meals and beverages available on the flight
• Help passengers in loading the hand luggage in the overhead bins safely
• Check whether the passengers have their seatbelts on when the seatbelt sign goes on.
• Explain to passengers about the use of the emergency kit and about emergency exit.
• Inform the pilot whenever the flight is ready to take off.

Inflight responsibilities

Check out the in-flight responsibilities of cabin crew and air hostess:

• Ensure that passengers have their seat belts on
• Serve meals and beverages to passengers
• Sell duty-free items
• Make crucial announcements on the behalf of the pilot
• Provide assistance during medical emergencies
• Help passengers vacate the flight in cases of emergency landing

Landing responsibilities

There are a number of responsibilities of flight attendants when the aircraft lands:

• Make the list of lost and found items
• Prepare a list of cash and stock left after the flight lands.

Some of the top recruiters for cabin crew and air hostesses are:

• Indian Airlines
• Alliance Air
• Air India
• Sahara India
• Go Air
• Jet Airways
• British Airways 
• Indigo
• Gulf Air
• Delta Airlines
• Vistara
• Singapore Airlines