Flight Attendant Height Requirement

Flight attendant height requirement is well-known, but maybe it is not the major one? The sky is the limit for most folks, but it’s home for flight attendants. Flight attendants are the faces of the airline industry, representing and carrying the carrier’s brand image. The career of flight attendant began with the introduction of passenger air travel in the early 1920s.

Initially, flight attendants served as co-pilots. In-flight, the co-pilot was responsible for assisting the pilot in command as well as serving food and beverages. Many airlines began to review their duties for addressing the requirements of passengers as passenger air travel expanded.

Western Air was the first airline to hire male attendants in the early 1930s. United Airlines was the first to hire female flight attendants in the late 1930s. The notion was that the passengers would feel considerably safer in the hands of the female stewardesses, United flight attendants were all registered nurses. They were in charge of tending to people who were ill as a result of the flight. Passengers were also given food by the stewardesses.

Among the most sought-after jobs in the world is that of a flight attendant. There are numerous advantages to choosing this professional path. Flight attendants, for instance, have the opportunity to travel around the world, see new locations, and learn about different cultures. This position is thought to broaden one’s horizons and increase communication abilities.

You’ve arrived at the perfect place if you’re seeking for a solution to fulfill your dream career of flying. This article has been produced to help you learn more about the legislative and organizational requirements for functioning as a flight attendant.

Flight attendant height requirement

Numerous applicants and employers throughout the world are concerned about your height. Is height really so relevant in becoming a cabin crew, or is it just one of several personality attributes?

When it comes to the essence of a cabin crew’s employment, height is among the most crucial measures of a human body. The cabin crew is required to operate in the aircraft galley, distribute refreshments, announce and demonstrate safety guidelines, open or close overhead compartments, aid and relax passengers during the critical phases of a flight, and provide support within the aircraft.

Commercial passenger aircraft are classified into two types: narrow-body jetliners and wide-body jetliners. A widebody aircraft typically has a larger, wider, and higher passenger cabin than a narrow-body aircraft. Flight attendants must be able to move freely throughout the cabin, hence upper and lower height restrictions are in existence.

The serving person must not be too high or too low, or the productivity of the entire team would deteriorate. Further height criteria are defined by airlines; normally, there are various height standards in airlines around the world. To have a better understanding of this topic, examples from some of the world’s largest airlines that run a variety of services and aircraft types are provided.

United Airlines, one of the world’s most influential airlines, has established a cabin staff height limit of 5’2 to 6’3 without shoes. Lufthansa, a German airline and one of the world’s oldest brands in the skies, needs a minimum height of 5’2″.  Raising on tiptoes, Emirates mandates physical characteristics such as a minimum height of 160 cm or 5’2″ and a minimum arm range of 212 cm approximately 6.9 feet to assure flight attendants can grasp the emergency equipment aboard Emirates’ jets. While some airlines, such as Philippine Airlines, have a minimum height requirement of 5’3 for women and 5’6 for males.

How to become a flight attendant

It is not difficult to become a flight attendant if everything is performed and planned properly. Rather than applying for a job unprepared, it would be better to review all of the requirements, meet them, and land that dream career.

These are the general regulations that are in place throughout the global aviation sector by most airlines.

Training and Certification 

To apply for the post of a flight attendant, no specific certifications are expected in many parts of the world. Certain airlines, on the other hand, may favor candidates who have taken college courses in hospitality, communication, tourism, and public relations.

In 2003, Congress created a flight attendant certification requirement in the Vision 100-Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. After December 11, 2004, no individual may work as a flight attendant on board an air airline’s airplane unless that person obtains a Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency provided by the Federal Aviation Administration.

A flight attendant is defined by the Act as an individual who works in the cabin of an airplane with 20 or more seats that are employed to provide air transportation by a part 121 or part 135 air carrier.

Flight Attendant Age Requirements

Most flight attendants must be at least 18 years old. Some airlines require applicants to be 19 or 20 years old at the time of application, however, no airline is authorized to make the criterion older than 21. While there is no upper age limit for becoming a flight attendant, each airline has its own set of requirements based on operational needs and the culture of the target market.

Flight Attendant Weight Requirements

Flight attendants are not required to be a certain weight. Instead, they must have a proportional appearance. This means they don’t have to be slim, but they should appear healthy and fit. You can use a BMI calculator to get a good idea of this.

Education 

A high school diploma or its equivalent is required as the minimum level of education. An associate’s or bachelor’s degree would be advantageous.

Language 

English is required for international flight operations since it is recognized as an international language. Each airline necessitates proficiency in regional languages. Lufthansa, for example, requires flight attendants to be fluent in both German and English.

Medical Requirements 

Physical strength is more essential than height and weight. Flight attendants are subjected to intense emergency training and are required to undertake particular physical activities in unexpected emergency situations.

These responsibilities include lifting and activating evacuation doors and other systems, as well as controlling or removing troublesome passengers. Even in non-emergency scenarios, flight attendants spend the majority of the day on their feet.

They must be able to move large bags into overhead compartments, bend to grab dropped items, and be adaptable enough to reach people in cramped or inconvenient areas. Flight attendants’ daily activities would be difficult for anyone with a restricted physical condition or even for those who are out of shape.

Flight attendants are also not permitted to have significant sensory impairments. They cannot be blind or deaf for understandable reasons, and their sight must be rectifiable with lenses or spectacles. Some airlines also prohibit pregnant women from working in-flight. For the course of their pregnancy, pregnant women are grounded and obliged to work at terminals or other service areas.

Advanced Characteristics 

Finally, there are a few other flight attendant requirements that airlines look for when they hire flight attendants.

Flight Attendant Appearance Requirements

While this is a broad statement, generally companies seek well-groomed individuals with a neat appearance. That usually means natural hair color, no facial hair, and maintaining proper cleanliness at all times.

Ethics 

Aside from the grooming regulations, flight attendants are not permitted to have tattoos and piercings. If the uniform does not hide any of the tattoos, it is mandatory to wear a sleeve or cover anywhere the tattoo is. If an applicant has tattoos in a difficult-to-cover place, such as the hands or face, this job may be out of reach for them.

Accessories 

Flight attendants are not permitted to have apparent piercings other than a tiny hole in their earlobes. The cabin crew will be unable to wear a nose ring, extra earrings, or even a pierced tongue while on the job.

Skill Set for Flight Attendants

The following skills are valuable to becoming a flight attendant.

Communication 

For a flight attendant, communication is a must-have talent. Each individual of the cabin crew must have good communication skills and a smooth communication channel across the aircraft using numerous equipment in order to operate effectively with the other members of the flight crew. This includes the ability to provide timely and accurate information to coworkers as well as offer clear, factual information to passengers as needed.

Problem Solving 

Anyone interested in working as an airline flight attendant should be intelligent and agile, with well-developed problem-solving skills, in order to meet both the expectations of the airline customers as well as airline protocols and any problems that may emerge.

Teamwork 

To perform all of the activities to be done during a flight, an airline cabin crew must function as a team.

Time Management

Flight attendants are responsible for a variety of activities on board, including flight briefings, food service, and passenger boarding and unboarding. Every assignment must be completed on time. If jobs are not completed on schedule, the airline’s reputation in the market will suffer greatly.

Decision Making

The lead cabin crew is in charge of ensuring that all cabin crew onboard are performing well. In the event of an emergency, terrible weather, or a medical situation onboard, the flight attendant is the airline’s frontline representative who is responsible for controlling the mess. Strong decision-making ability is required for safe and effective performance on board.

Assertiveness 

When required, assertiveness is the conviction to take control of a situation. Flight attendants can utilize assertiveness to handle terrible circumstances by ensuring that all passengers follow the airline’s guidelines. In the event of a safety violation, the cabin crew may use force to halt the offender for the protection of other passengers and aircraft equipment.