Even your dream of becoming an air hostess like many other young girls but not sure about eligibility, qualification, and other such requirements? Don’t worry we have done the complete research for you to fulfil all your dreams. In this article, we will explain to you everything about becoming an air hostess, courses related to it, qualification needed and all such questions that might come up to your mind. It is one of the high profile professions in India which offers a lucrative salary and lets you travel the entire world. The aviation industry is booming across the world, thus the future is bright. An air hostess is an integral part of the aviation sector which is both glamorous and rewarding. This term is usually referred to as female flight attendants. This field is in general dominated by female candidates.
How to Become Air Hostess in India?
First, let us know in detail about the meaning of Air Hostess and its key responsibilities.
What is an Air Hostess?
She is a member of the cabin crew and helps the passengers to board the plane and also explains the safety procedures and equipments. Great customer service should be the first focus of an air hostess. They have to greet the customers to make the air travel comfortable for the passengers; coordinate with the security and also guide the passengers while seating. They have an average career span of 7-10 years and then they can move to the ground job like training, check hostess, etc. The job of an air hostess might seem easy but it is not as it comes with many responsibilities.
Responsibilities of an Air Hostess
Checking if there are sufficient supplies on the plane Checking if the emergency equipment work properly or not Greet passengers well and help them in settling them by showing them their seat Demonstrating emergency equipment and showing the procedure in a calm and confident manner Take care of announcements and inter-department coordination Ensure passengers are comfortable and safe Providing them with food, reading material, selling duty-free items and other such items Assisting and ensuring that the passengers follow the necessary emergency equipment if needed Ensure that passengers leave the plane safely Make a record of food and drinks order plus the duty-free sales
This was about the responsibilities that you would have to handle being an air hostess but now comes the major aspect which is the qualification or eligibility criteria for becoming an air hostess. Excited to know?
Air Hostess Qualification/Eligibility
Here are the eligibility criteria and qualification required for becoming an air hostess in India This was about the qualification and eligibility criteria, in short, now let us understand them in detail so that you have no further queries:
1) Education
This is something that everyone will be glad after reading, the minimum qualification required for becoming an air hostess is 10+2 passed in any stream but from a recognized board. If you wish to do a post-graduate course in air hostess then the minimum qualification required would be graduation. There are a lot of institutes who also consider taking students after 10th but we would recommend you to join it after 12th. Another thing they require is that you should be well versed with Hindi and English, it would be great if you know other foreign languages. Excellent communication skills are a mandate as there are a lot of times when you have to communicate with your passengers. Thus confidence and communication skills are a must with educational qualifications. Also Read: 20 Best ITI Courses after 12th in India
2) Age and Marital Status
It varies from one airline to another but usually the standard age when you can become an air hostess is between 17-25 years. Mostly, the air hostess academy decides the age initially when you join the course and the same goes for the marital status. It depends on the policy of the academy but mostly they prefer unmarried girls.
3) Physical and Medical Standards
The minimum height required for becoming an air hostess is 5.2″, it might vary from institute to institute. If we talk about the weight it should be in proportion to the height. In physical standard body mass index is calculated. Skin complexion should be fair to spotless ski. In total, the candidate should be physically fit, as the minimum eyesight required is 6/9, numerous airlines allow the candidates to correct the eyesight and make it 20/20. Candidates should not be suffering from any cardiovascular disease and should not have any past record of mental illness. This was about the eligibility, this is you have complete 10+2, are unmarried and fall between the age 17-25 years and have no physical and mental ailments, then you can apply for becoming an air hostess. Now, let us know a few points about the behavioural skills required as being soft and having good hospitality skills is a must for becoming an air hostess.
Behavioral Skills
These skills are equally important as the physical standards because if you do not have behavioural skills in you then you cannot become a good air hostess-
- Presence of Mind: There are times when the planes have an emergency landing, in such cases, they have to use their presence of mind while informing the passengers and doing the announcements so that they do not panic.
- Charming Personality: For becoming an air hostess you need to have a good voice and an attractive personality. It is substantial for you to be friendly with passengers on the flight as a good personality with a friendly approach is what makes you a good air hostess.
- Working as a team: It is imperative for you as an air hostess to working in unity with the cabin crew, mostly there are 10 -12 members in a cabin crew. Thus, you have to make sure that you work in coordination with them and help them equally in all the work that needs to be done.
- Excellent Communication Skills: Undoubtedly, this is a very important skill that is required as you should be able to communicate well with the passengers on board and understand them well if they need something. Language proficiency is a must as if there is a communication gap then it becomes difficult to understand what the passenger wants.
- Flexibility: There should be flexibility, particularly when it comes to working hours as there can be times when the flight gets delayed due to bad weather conditions or any other reason, thus your working hours might extend by a couple of hours, so you should always be ready and flexible for such situations.
- Other requirements: Some of the other proficiencies required are numeracy skills for handling cash which includes foreign exchange, should have a capacity to work in a confined space, ability to stay calm under pressure and in emergencies, competence in handling tough situations, discretion when dealing with VIP and commercial awareness. We are sure that you possess all the behavioural skills needed for becoming an air hostess as you are eligible for becoming an air hostess you must be curious to know that how does it go about recruitment? Want to know?
Recruitment Process
For becoming an air hostess first you have to clear a basic written exam first which would include simple and easy questions on aptitude and reasoning. Don’t worry you would have multiple choice objective questions. Still, it would not be that easy so you need to do a good preparation for cracking the exam. Once you clear the written exam you would have a group discussion, where you would be given a topic and you can wither speak against it or in favor of it, it needs a lot of practice and confidence. In this stage, they check your presence of mind, communication skills, confidence, attitude, leadership quality, etc. The last would be your personal interview, here they would ask a few questions and judge your overall personality. They would check how passionate you are about your career, confidence, urge and learn and other such things. If you get selected then they provide you with training for the next 6 months. The recruitment process is short and crisp but you have to work hard to clear all the rounds if you are passionate about becoming an air hostess. Also Read: 16 Best Courses for Commerce Students after Class 12th
Air Hostess Courses in India
By now most of the things have become clear of becoming an air hostess but one important part that you should know is about air hostess courses, as airlines give preference to those candidates who have completed a course relevant to the aviation industry. In general, there are three types of courses certificate course, diploma and degree course. Let us understand them in detail below-
1) Certificate Course
This can be done by the students who have passed 10+2. Usually, the training courses are for 6 to 12 months but there are a few courses that are just for 3 months. Some of the courses that you can pursue are-
International Air Cargo Air Hostess Management Airport Ground Management Air Hostess Training Air Ticketing and Tourism Airlines Hospitality Aviation Management Certificate Courses in Personality Development Flight Attendant Aviation Customer Service Night Rating
There are a lot more options that you can choose from if you opt for a certification course.
2) Diploma Course
Next comes the diploma courses, this can also be pursued by a 10+2 student. Diploma courses are for 1 year and after that, you get a diploma certificate of air hostess, it is better than the certification courses as there are chances of getting a better job with more salary. Some of the diploma courses available are-
Diploma in Airlines Management Diploma in Air hostess Training Diploma in Air Cargo Practices and Documentation Diploma in Aviation and Hospitality Management Diploma in Airlines and Travel Management Aviation and Hospitality Management Diploma in Professional Ground Staff Services Diploma in Ground Handling and Cargo Management Diploma in Flight Attendant Training Diploma in Airport Management & Customer Care
3) Degree Courses
This is a three-year course, which you can join after 10+2. This is similar to the graduation that you do. There is a list of degree courses that you can opt for, which are-
BBA(Aviation) Bachelor of Hospitality and Travel Management Bachelor of Travel and Tourist Management Bachelor of Science (Air hostess training) Bachelor of Science (Aviation)
If you are serious about your career as an air hostess then we would recommend you to do the degree course as it helps you in getting a better job with a handsome salary.
4) Post Graduate Courses
This can only be done if you are a graduate, it is a mandate. There are a lot of post-graduation courses available, which are-
PG Diploma in Airport Ground Services PG Diploma in Aviation and Hospitality Services MBA (Aviation) PG Diploma in Hospitality, Aviation, Travel and Customer Service
This was the list of the air hostess courses; there are a lot more courses to choose from which you can know more from the institutes. There are loads of air hostess training institutes and academies from which you can do the courses. Some of the best institute’s are-
Franklin Institute of Air Hostess, Delhi, and Mumbai Jet Airways Training Academy, Mumbai Avalon Academy, Dehradun Air Hostess Academy, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune Universal Aviation Academy, Chennai PTC Aviation Academy, Bangalore, and Chennai
If we talk about the fee that these institute charges, there is no definite amount as it varies from institute to institute. The benefit of doing the course from a good institute is that they have good placements in renowned airlines such as Air India, Indigo, Jet Airways, Go Air, Alliance Air, British Airways, Lufthansa, etc. Getting placed in such good airlines would help you earn a great amount of salary. Being an air hostess you can earn between Rs.20, 000 to Rs.40, 000. Domestic Airlines usually offers a salary of around Rs.50,000 and if you are an air hostess in any luxurious airlines then you can also earn from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh a month. The other benefits that you get are flight discounts, retirement benefits, medical insurance and much more. Also Read: The Best Online Tutor Jobs in India As of now, you know almost everything about becoming an air hostess such as eligibility criteria, fee, courses, salary, airlines, and skills required. Last but not least let us also know about its advantages in short:
Glamorous Lifestyle Decent Salary Chance to experience cultures from all around the world Opportunity to interact with people It broadens your mind Excellent Grooming
Wrapping Up By now you must have made your mind and thought of joining a renowned institute. Just remember that becoming an air hostess in India is not easy, it is much more than just demonstrating procedures and dishing meals, there is a lot of professionalism and hospitality required, then only you can succeed in this industry. So, are you ready for flying?