What skills does a flight attendant need?

A flight attendant needs 30 essential skills including air transport law, common aviation safety regulations, communicate verbal instructions, comply with food safety and hygiene, provide first aid. Core competencies include .

Will AI replace flight attendant jobs?

The AI disruption score for flight attendant is 37/100 (moderate risk). Some tasks may be automated but the role will evolve rather than disappear entirely.

Social ServicePersonal service workersISCO 5111

flight attendant

Flight attendants perform a variety of personal services conducive to the safety and comfort of airline passengers during flight. They greet passengers, verify tickets, and direct passengers to assigned seats. They prepare reports after landing describing how the flight went in terms of operations, procedures, and anomalies.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (30)

air transport lawair transport lawThe rules and regulations governing air transport, including international law.common aviation safety regulationscommon aviation safety regulationsThe body of legislation and regulations that apply to the field of civil aviation at regional, national, European and International levels.communicate verbal instructionscommunicate verbal instructionsCommunicate transparent instructions. Ensure that messages are understood and followed correctly.comply with food safety and hygienecomply with food safety and hygieneRespect optimal food safety and hygiene during preparation, manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and delivery of food products.provide first aidprovide first aidAdminister cardiopulmonary resuscitation or first aid in order to provide help to a sick or injured person until they receive more complete medical treatment.give instructions to staffgive instructions to staffGive instructions to subordinates by employing various communication techniques. Adjust communication style to the target audience in order to convey instructions as intended.maintain relationship with customersmaintain relationship with customersBuild a lasting and meaningful relationship with customers in order to ensure satisfaction and fidelity by providing accurate and friendly advice and support, by delivering quality products and servic...greet guestsgreet guestsWelcome guests in a friendly manner in a certain place.handle customer complaintshandle customer complaintsAdminister complaints and negative feedback from customers in order to address concerns and where applicable provide a quick service recovery.deal with challenging work conditionsdeal with challenging work conditionsDeal with challenging circumstances in which to perform work, such as night work, shift work, and atypical working conditions.upsell productsupsell productsPersuade customers to buy additional or more expensive products.execute flight plansexecute flight plansListen to the briefing given by the captain or the crew manager; understand service requirements and apply the commissioned tasks in an appropriate manner.serve food in table serviceserve food in table serviceProvide food at the table whilst maintaining high level of customer service and food safety standards.manage the customer experiencemanage the customer experienceMonitor, create and oversee customer experience and perception of brand and service. Ensure pleasant customer experience, treat customers in a cordial and courteous manner.maintain customer servicemaintain customer serviceKeep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requ...deliver outstanding servicedeliver outstanding serviceProvide outstanding customer service by exceeding customer expectations; establish reputation as an exceptional service provider.assist passengersassist passengersProvide help to people getting in and out of their car or any other transportation vehicle, by opening doors, provide physical support or hold belongings. Keep safety measures and procedures in mind.inspect cabin service equipmentinspect cabin service equipmentInspect cabin service equipment, such as trolleys and catering equipment, and safety equipment such as life jackets, inflatable life rafts or first-aid kits. Record inspections in logbooks.conduct full-scale emergency plan exercisesconduct full-scale emergency plan exercisesConduct and mobilise all efforts, support organisations, resources, and communications within the airport, to carry out prevention plan exercises in order to prepare and train airport personnel for re...handle stressful situations in the work placehandle stressful situations in the work placeDeal with and manage highly stressful situations in the workplace by following adequate procedures, communicating in a quiet and effective manner, and remaining level-headed when taking decisions.sell souvenirssell souvenirsExchange souvenirs for money by displaying them in an attractive way and communicating with customers.prepare flight reportsprepare flight reportsPrepare reports showing flight departure and arrival locations, passenger ticket numbers, food and drink inventories, condition of cabin equipment, and potential problems encountered by passengers.handle veterinary emergencieshandle veterinary emergenciesHandle unforeseen incidents concerning animals and circumstances which call for urgent action in an appropriate professional manner.carry out pre-flight dutiescarry out pre-flight dutiesCheck on-board safety equipment; ensure that the plane is clean; ensure that documents in the seat pockets are up to date; check if all meals and other required stock are on board.process customer ordersprocess customer ordersHandle orders placed by customers. Receive the customer order and define a list of requirements, a working process, and a time frame. Execute the work as planned.provide food and beveragesprovide food and beveragesProvide people with food and drink during trip, a flight, an event, or any other occurrence.handle financial transactionshandle financial transactionsAdminister currencies, financial exchange activities, deposits as well as company and voucher payments. Prepare and manage guest accounts and take payments by cash, credit card and debit card.perform routine flight operations checksperform routine flight operations checksPerform checks before and during flight: conduct pre-flight and in-flight inspections of aircraft performance, route and fuel usage, runway availability, airspace restrictions, etc.follow verbal instructionsfollow verbal instructionsHave the ability to follow spoken instructions received from colleagues. Strive to understand and clarify what is being requested.analyse work-related written reportsanalyse work-related written reportsRead and comprehend job-related reports, analyse the content of reports and apply findings to daily work operations.

Optional (9)

act reliablyact reliablyProceed in a way that one can be relied on or depended on.use different communication channelsuse different communication channelsMake use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.assist at check-inassist at check-inHelp guests and visitors with their check-in and show them their accommodation.apply transportation management conceptsapply transportation management conceptsApply transport industry management concepts in order to improve transportation processes, reduce waste, increase efficiency, and improve schedule preparation.provide information to passengersprovide information to passengersProvide passengers with correct information in a polite and efficient manner; use proper etiquette to assist physically challenged travellers.have computer literacyhave computer literacyUtilise computers, IT equipment and modern day technology in an efficient way.tolerate stresstolerate stressMaintain a temperate mental state and effective performance under pressure or adverse circumstances.be friendly to passengersbe friendly to passengersEngage with passengers according to the expectations of contemporary social behaviour, the specific situation, and the code of conduct of the organisation. Communicate in a polite and clear way.perform services in a flexible mannerperform services in a flexible mannerAdapt service approach when circumstances change.