Air hostesses, also known as flight attendants or stewardesses, are members of the aircrew who maintain customer services and ensure comfort and safety of passengers.[break]
Often considered a glamorous job which requires minimum qualification, air hostesses also hold secondary aircraft responsibilities besides catering to the customer’s need.
There are a number of training institutions in Kathmandu which provide platforms to start a career as an air hostess. Once the students fill the forms and meet the general requirements, they are eligible to get enrolled for the training. The costs for training ranges from Rs 22,000 to 25,000.
Flytech International, Putalisadak, an airhostess training institution, has been running since 2006. The institute provides both domestic and international training. The curriculum of the domestic training is based on Civil Aviation Authority Nepal (CAAN) which regulates all the airlines in Nepal. The international training is based on the guidelines of International Air Transport Association (IATA), and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), USA. IATA is an air regulation organization which manages air safety and ICAO also oversees the airlines´ operation.
Najir Hussain, Executive Director of Flytech International said, “There are around 185 students so far who have taken training in our institution and been placed either in domestic or international airlines. Once the students have been chosen by international airlines, the airline conducts an exam and after passing, the students get the license to work as an air hostess”.
He further said that in order to have a good salary to upgrade one’s lifestyle and visit exotic locations, being an air hostess can be opted as a good career. “On average an air hostess can earn Rs 30,000- 40,000 in a domestic airlines and up to 3 lakhs in international airlines”, added Hussain.
Becoming a flight attendant requires in-depth training both from air hostess training institutions as well as airlines. The standard criteria is: minimum +2 education, 5’2 or more in height, good eyesight, physically fit, no birthmark, no visible tattoo in uniform, and no physical impairments that affects the ability to work. Airhostesses should also have knowledge about aircrafts, passenger handling, pre-flight checking, basic aircraft functions like demonstration of safety equipments, be ready for emergencies occurring onboard and perform airport duties.
Air Hostess Training Institutes (AHTI), New Baneshwor, a private training institute was established in 2003. Sunita Bhandari, a staff from AHTI, said, “Air hostess training that we provide here is for a period of three months and after the completion of training wherever the criteria meets, the trainees can get placed. The main job of the institution is to assist the trainees and provide them the certificate”.
She further added that sometimes the airlines themselves come in to look for airhostesses and recently Buddha Air and Bahrain Airlines came to place vacancies. “Among the ones who completed the training from AHTI, 150 of them are enrolled in both domestic and international airlines,” added Sunita.
Shine International Education (SIE), New Baneshwor, a private limited educational organization, has been taking admissions for airhostess training for the last two months. The chosen students are placed for training in the Frankfinn Airhostess Training Institute (FATI) in Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai and other parts of India.
Zenisha Moktan, consultant of Franfinn Nepal said, “Air hostess training can be taken as a good career option since one gets to travel a lot and besides good salary there are many excellent perks of this profession. Once the students get admissions here, they can go to any Frankfinn institutions in India for training”.
Kritika Pradha, 22, has been working as an airhostess for Agni Air for a year and a half shared, “I finished my training from Flytech Institute where I was encouraged and groomed in learning hospitality, customer service and personality development”. She further explained that after the training she had applied at Agni Air, was chosen, and given a two week training on basic airlines rules.
“Though the field looks glamorous, it is also a tough job as we should always be ready for emergency landing, have presence of mind, provide service to each and every passenger, be approachable and enthusiastic and no matter what maintain a smile and make a good self presentation,” explained Kritika.
One of the most sought after career in the aviation industry, for those who are ready to work unpredictable hours and travel a lot, air hostess training institutes provides a platform to take up airhosting as a profession.
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