The aviation industry has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. There have been allegations that some of the pilots have taken to the skies on forged documents and some airlines and DGCA have grounded such pilots and cases have been lodged against them. But for those aspiring to work in the aviation industry there is a rosy future if one is on the right path of law.

Many young girls have dreams in their eyes of flying off to new destinations and meeting people. Such young girls take up the profession of an air hostess to fulfill their dreams. Rita was a beautiful girl and had just appeared for her Class XII boards and made inquiries on becoming an air hostess. A counsellor told her that apart from looking beautiful, the airline industry required certain conditions, mainly a charming voice and pleasing personality as she was the first person to welcome the passengers aboard the jet and make them comfortable during the journey.

An air hostess job begins even before the arrival of the passengers into the jet. She has to make a safety check of the aircraft and equipment. She checks on the requirements needed during the flight which include food, water, blankets, pillows, magazines, plates, napkins and medicines. She also has to ensure that everything is clean and there would be no cause for complaints.

The job of an air hostess also includes guiding every passenger to his seat and helping him/her to put his/her cabin baggage at available spaces. She also helps children travelling alone, mothers travelling with infants and also directs the security personnel in performing their duties. In short, she is on her toes since the time she gets into the flight. The moment the doors of the plane are closed and the plane gets ready for take off, you hear her voice asking you to sit up straight, fasten your seat belts, keep the window shutters open and follow the instructions to be adopted during an emergency. In case of an emergency, it is the duty of an air hostess to ensure that all passengers have been moved to safety before quitting the burning board.

As an air hostess she visits different places and gets the opportunity to see important places if time permits and also stay at hotels at airlines expenses.
 
Eligibility Conditions
  
For becoming an airhostess, a candidate must have passed Class XII / or a graduate degree with a diploma/degree in Hotel Management or Tourism Management. An aspirant should be below 25 years of age with a minimum height of 157.5 cm and weight should be proportionate to height. The candidate must have command in English, Hindi, and knowledge of a foreign language would be a plus point. A male counterpart of the airhostess called the flight purser should be a graduate below 26 years with a minimum height of 163 cm with proportionate weight.

All those wishing to become an air hostess/ flight pursuer should be physically strong to withstand the long working hours. The applicants after clearing the first hurdle have to appear for a written examination, which is held to test their ability. After qualifying in the written, the successful applicants appear for a group discussion and personal interview. Those emerging successful undergo training before being absorbed in regular employment. The applicants are trained in service, grooming, safety and first aid. Their training also covers understanding the nuances of technical and non-technical aspects of an aircraft.

An instructor of a popular training school said that the students are lectured on the history of aviation, in-flight service, passenger handling, passenger psychology, service of meals while flying, art of conversation, emergency demonstration and evacuation, personal grooming and hygiene, first aid, confidence building, handling of visually impaired passengers, making announcements among many other things.

Job Prospects

With Indian skies opening up, there are lots of job opportunities. Those wishing to fly abroad can seek employment in foreign airlines or in many private Indian carriers. Some of the well known names in aviation industry are British Airways, JAL, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Jet Airways, Kingfisher, Indigo, Spicejet, Air India and etc. Advertisements seeking cabin crew appear in most national newspapers.
Career Growth

After joining as an Air Hostess and putting in eight years of work, she can climb the ladder to become a Senior Flight Attendant and then Head Attendant. Earlier, after marriage, air hostess was grounded but times have changed now. Those wishing to change from a flying career can opt for ground hostess and training airhostess or move to the management level depending on their education.

Salary
 
Air hostess is paid handsomely and the pay packet goes up with the hours put in. It is approximately Rs.35,000 per month. A senior air hostess draws Rs.75,000 per month and it is believed that foreign airlines pay more.

All those wishing to take to the skies, get ready for take off.

Some of the institutes conducting Air Hostess & Aviation Training:

* Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training,
3-6-12 & 13, Al-Samad Complex, Above Universal Bakers, Himayat Nagar, Hyderabad-500 029

* Sristys Aviation, 307, Swarnajayanthi Complex, Ameerpet, Hyderabad

* AHA – Air Hostess Academy, 201 A&C, 2nd Floor, KFC Woodland Building prime Plaza, Himayat Nagar, Hyderabad-500 029

* Avalon Academy, Opp. JNTU Masab Tank Lane, next to Arose hotel, Hyderabad - 500 028

* Kingfisher Training Academy, 4th Floor, Gokul Towers, 6-3-666/B/6, Panjagutta Main Road, Hyderabad 500 082.