Cabin crew qualifications prepare a flight attendant to provide excellent service while riding the skies. While exact requirements may vary depending on the airline and regional labor and defense laws, many cabin crew jobs ask for similar qualifications. Some of the most common cabin crew qualifications include health and fitness restrictions, education, a clean criminal record and possession of citizenship, and customer service experience. Airlines may also require cabin crew to possess some safety skills that can be valuable during in-flight emergencies.
Many airlines have basic health and fitness requirements that must be met before a person can become a flight attendant. These may include height and age restrictions, as well as physical fitness requirements. Potential crew members may have to go through a physical fitness test as well as a medical check, to ensure that they do not have any existing medical problems that could hinder working ability. Signs of drug abuse, or a history of drug or alcohol related criminal violations, may be grounds for immediate dismissal.
While there is no formal educational path for cabin crew members, many airlines require a high school diploma or equivalent certificate. Some airlines give preference to those who have attended college, even if they have not completed an undergraduate degree. For those hoping to advance through the ranks of airline management beyond cabin crew, a college degree can also be quite useful.
One of the most important cabin crew qualifications is possession of a clean criminal record. Some airlines will not hire personnel with any type of violation on their criminal record, beyond minor infractions such as parking tickets. Airlines often conduct a thorough background check on all prospective flight attendants to ensure that criminal record guidelines are adequately met. Many airlines also require proof of citizenship or permanent legal residency in the home country of the airline.
Since the most common responsibility of flight attendants is customer care, customer service skills may be some of the most important cabin crew qualifications. Flight attendants must be able to handle difficult or nervous passengers with ease, in order to ensure the safety and comfort of all aboard. Past experience with customer service may be a requirement for some jobs, even if garnered in a different industry. Those with childcare or disabled customer experience may also be very good candidates, as airlines must often provide special services to these types of passengers.
Cabin crew qualifications may also involve some form of medical or emergency training. First aid and CPR certification can help ensure that a flight attendant is prepared to assist in any basic medical situation. Once hired, cabin crew may also be required to complete extensive training programs to ensure their ability to handle emergency situations particular to flying, such as evacuation procedure. While not all airlines require medical and emergency training, these skills may help an applicant appear more qualified to employers.