Attributions and Roles of Flight Attendant

Abstract

This academic article aims to analyze and synthesize the characteristics and roles of flight attendants as a staff with important duties in safety and passenger service. The data used to analyze this article are from academic documents and flight attendant training manuals from regulatory agencies, such as the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), especially the Cabin Crew Safety Training Manual (DOC10002) and Safety and Emergency Procedures Manual (SEP) from international airlines, together with in-depth interviews with three international airline flight attendants with more than 30 years of experience. This article uses content analysis for grouping the important roles and characteristics according to the ICAO competency framework. The results show that flight attendants must have three main competencies: personality, competency, and service ethics, which are reflected through their roles in normal and emergency situations. These characteristics are confirmed by both international documents and the experienced flight attendants. In addition, flight attendants also have safety roles, including pre-flight checks on safety equipment and security checks before passengers boarding and after passengers have disembarked from the aircraft, and be able to use safety equipment in emergency situations. This is in line with the requirements of ICAO DOC10002 and is confirmed by experienced flight attendants. Information from this article can be used as a guideline for preparing students who are interested to pursue a career in aviation, as well as to develop a curriculum or training program for future flight attendant.