CABIN CREW & HOSPITALITY TRAINING

Introduction

Cabin Crew are required on board aircraft to ensure passenger safety. The effectiveness of cabin crew in fulfilling their safety-related duties can only be attained through proper and effective training.

Training may never duplicate all the types of situations that may confront cabin crew in the performance of their duties on board an aircraft. Nevertheless, training can instil the basic knowledge, skills, attitudes and confidence that will allow cabin crew to handle emergencies.

 Cabin Crew are unique among airline personnel because they essentially have two distinct responsibilities on board an aircraft.

1. The most important, but least visible, responsibility of cabin crew is that which concerns the safety of passengers and the aircraft cabin. This is a major responsibility and requires that they undergo specialized and thorough training not only to gain a sound knowledge of their safety related responsibilities but also to instil in them complete confidence and provide them with the authority needed in performing their duties.
2. The second and most visible duty of cabin crew is the role they play as their airline’s public relations officers, attending to passengers’ needs and, in general, creating a favorable impression of their airline through friendly and efficient service.

Regardless of other duties and responsibilities of cabin crew, from the regulatory point of view, the major function of cabin crew on board an aircraft is to ensure passenger safety by preventing and managing adverse situations, which may develop in the aircraft cabin, and to provide guidance to all persons on board during an emergency.

ICAO Annex 6 and Rule 38 (b) — requires that an operator shall establish and maintain a training programme, approved by the State of the Operator, to be completed by all persons before being assigned as a cabin crew member. Cabin crew shall complete a recurrent training programme annually.