Training

The mile high club

The entry of new airlines coupled with an increase in their fleet to feed the Indian market is spawning a host of in-flight crew training institutes by the minute. Priya Krishnaswamy finds out what it takes to fly high

Travel and tourism has always been an interesting career option for most youngsters who generally tend to favour the more glamorous segment - the cabin crew. Apart from all the gloss attached to it, it is well-paying, appears easy, and gives people a chance to interact with passengers.

But being a flight attendant comes with its own share of responsibilities. And this is where the in-flight crew training institutes come into the picture. Their courses, that stretch from anywhere between three months to one year depending upon the subject of study, help in developing the confidence of the aspiring candidates and provide technical training including safety and emergency procedures, aircraft-specific training, crew resource management modules apart from programmes on personal grooming, voice modulation, etc.

Rachna Macker, training manager at Air Hostess Training Centre, New Delhi, says, "Cabin crews are responsible for the overall comfort and safety of the passengers from the moment they board the plane till the time of disembarkment. Our training is based on the guidelines provided to airlines for training their staff and to prepare the individuals to face any situation with confidence and knowledge."

The A-Z of it

Of course, the situation is demanding and challenging. Alka Kaul, dean of New Delhi-Fame Service Training Academy, says, "Courses help students to groom their overall personality and lay the foundation for what is required on the job. We also give training in foreign languages, fitness, aircraft safety, first aid and basic etiquettes of food and beverage service with specialised courses for airline ticketing. But the course structure varies from institute to institute. The safety patterns may slightly vary depending on the type of aircraft but essentially they are all the same." The academy offers part-time courses for three, six and 12 months which prepare students to get jobs in the industry.

Rao, an officer with India Tourism Development Corporation, Bangalore, says that there is a dearth of trained cabin crews in the market right now. "The industry is always looking for trained manpower from institutes. In fact, they trust students who pass out from these institutions as they have already been introduced to the world of aviation. Learning can vary from resource management modules to programmes on personal grooming, voice and announcements, etc."

Sadly, only a few of these institutes have the required infrastructure and expert faculty to actually transform the students into new-age professionals. Macker says, "It depends on the quality of education and the level of professionalism injected into the students. I was working with Jet Airways for a long time before I decided to take up teaching. Qualified educators are yet another need of the hour," adding that many who quit their jobs take up teaching as it the best way for them to communicate all they have learnt to the aspirants. However, Kaul says that most international airlines have many cabin crews who are in their 40s and 50s. Moreover, there are myriad options available in the airline industry for cabin crew. "Once in the industry, you can stay there as long as you want," she adds.

Unfortunately, most women find it difficult to cope up with the work pressure once they get married. Macker admits, "That was one of the reasons why I left the airline industry to take up regular work. But I am still very much a part of the industry. It becomes difficult to manage children at home with irregular working hours and late night shifts."

Opinions however differ. Suchita Niranjan, a student of a Bangalore-based training academy, says, "In my opinion it's not worth joining any airhostess academy. Being in the industry for a while has made me understand that airlines prefer someone who they can mould according to their needs rather than absorb students from an academy that gives half-baked training." Citing an example of emergency procedures taught at institutes, she says, "The emergency training for a Boeing 737 is different from a Boeing 777 and that for a 732 is different from the 738s. But these are some things that the academies don't teach. What makes sense is for students to attend a personal grooming session that will help them in their overall development."