Call Centre & Customer Service
Flight Attendant
Flight attendants provide onboard services to ensure the safety and comfort of airline passengers.
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Entry-level education
Senior secondary school certificate or equivalent
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Job outlook
What does a Flight Attendant do?
Flight attendants provide onboard services to ensure the safety and comfort of airline passengers.
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Work activities
As a flight attendant, you would:
- administer first aid to passengers in distress
- announce and demonstrate safety and emergency procedures, such as the use of oxygen masks, seat belts, and life jackets
- verify that passengers have complied with regulations prior to takeoffs and landings
- distribute items such as reading material and serve meals and drinks
- anticipate and provide for the comfort of passengers needing special attention, including unaccompanied children, parents with infants, people with disability, and the elderly
- direct and assist passengers in emergency procedures in the event of decompression, turbulence, mechanical malfunction or emergency evacuation
- prepare passengers and aircraft for landing, following procedures.
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Key skills and interests
To become a flight attendant, you would need:
- a friendly personality with excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- the ability to work as part of a team
- neatness in your personal appearance at all times
- the ability to work under pressure and within tight time frames
- to adapt easily to an irregular lifestyle
- to be able to cope with the physical demands of the job
- to satisfy height requirements (for some airlines)
- to be able to swim approximately 20 to 50 metres unaided (for some airlines)
- to be at least 18 years of age.
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Working hours and conditions
Working Hours
Flight attendants work evenings, weekends, and public holidays, because airlines operate every day and have overnight flights. Most have variable schedules.
Conditions
Flight attendants work long hours in a pressurised cabin and must adjust to varying climatic conditions and different time zones. They work in aircraft and may be away from home several nights per week.
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How to become an Flight Attendant?
Entry Level Education
You can work as a flight attendant without formal qualifications. Entry requirements may vary, but the major airlines generally require you to gain your senior secondary school certificate or equivalent. You would need good results in English and maths, and would also be required to undergo written and practical examinations, as well as behavioural assessments.
Your employment prospects may be improved if you have qualifications and/or prior relevant experience in hospitality or customer service.
Successful applicants are required to have a Provide First Aid Certificate, a Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate and a valid passport. All people working in the airline industry must undergo a security clearance.
Flight attendants receive regular training throughout their careers and their performance is monitored to ensure high standards.
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Job outlook
Employment of flight attendants is projected to remain neutral.
Despite growth in air travel, economic conditions and cost cutting mean that airlines are reducing the number of flight attendants or using attendants based overseas on flights to and from Australia. However, more people are travelling and more routes are being added by airlines, this plus the fact that jobs are global means there will continue to be opportunities overseas.
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