If you’re organised and professional, have an interest in customer service and can vouch for your communication skills then a career as Air Cabin Crew could be for you.
Career Overview
Air Cabin Crew are the people who make your flight experience a lovely and comfortable one. They provide a myriad of in-flight services to provide passengers with assistance. Being an Air Cabin Crew isn’t just about looking the part and working with passengers but it entails much more than that. For one, Air Cabin Crew have to regularly check that the lavatory is in a clean and hygienic state. Cabin Crew have to sometimes take the role of a doctor or nurse should a medical emergency take place in the air, these are a few of the many many hats that are worn by Cabin Crew. The other side of the job includes traveling to new destinations and enjoying company benefits.
Required School Subjects
You should have taken the following subjects at high school:
- English
Recommended subjects:
- Tourism
Institution and APS
There is no APS required for Cabin Crew courses, but the following institutions are recommended:
- Cranfield
- Comair Training Centre
- South African Airways Training Academy
- EPT Aviation Training
Required Qualification/s
A certificate of competency is the required qualification for this career, which can be obtained through SACAA (South African Civil Aviation Authority). Candidates need to have a certificate that indicates completion of the course together with the SACAA certificate for them to be eligible to apply for national Air Cabin Crew vacancies. If candidates desire to work for an international airline, then they need to follow a different procedure and you can read about that in the Introduction to Cabin Crew course. Additional courses will need to be completed during the period of employment but that is airline specific and will be discussed further upon employment.
Required Skills
The following skills are some that make for a successful Air Cabin Crew:
- Communication skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Enterprise Interest and Cultural Awareness
- Teamwork
- Being well groomed
- Good health and Fitness
Where you can work
Air Cabin Crew jobs range from far and wide. National and international airlines are always seeking new employees, if you fancy living and working in a foreign country then it is absolutely possible but if you prefer to work closer to home then that too is absolutely possible. Public or private charter, if being a private Air Cabin Crew member is a dream of yours then it is important that you understand that you have to work your way from the bottom as experience is what makes this option possible.
Working Hours
Flexibility is key for this job because the working hours are not standard and vary in length. Depending on whether you work for a national or international airline, flights can be anything from a mere 2 hours to 16 or 20 hours flight time and that is excluding the pre-flight and post-flight preparations which need to be completed before the Air Cabin Crew can start accepting people onboard the aircraft and before they can knock off at the end of the flight.
Expected Salary
The salary for Air Cabin Crew in South Africa is estimated to range between R60 650 to R306 028 per year – with the average being R141 341. Experience is the factor that contributes to having a higher salary, also the more you fly the more you can earn.
What to expect
The following are some of the things one can expect in this career:
- Being an Air Cabin Crew will require you to be super flexible for the work schedule and for some, constant time zone changes.
- Having to deal with difficult customers with grace and poise. Not everybody boarding the aircraft is in a good mood and you need to be able to handle all the different personalities that you will come across with grace and not tarnish the airline’s reputation.
- Traveling to many new destinations. Depending on how long your layover is, this can afford you the opportunity to sightsee in as many new destinations as possible.
- Working with a great team of people and making new friends. This one is entirely up to you, remember that you will always be working with a different group of people and being a team player will help establish long lasting bonds and contribute to making your job a fun and healthy environment to be in.
- Meeting people from different cultures. If you love meeting new people who are from different corners of the world then this is one of the great benefits to look forward to.
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