How to Become a Flight Attendant: Requirements, Training and Applications

Most people become flight attendants by applying directly to an airline, passing its selection process and completing the airline's own safety training. You usually don't need a cabin crew qualification before you apply: the certification aviation authorities require normally comes through the training your new employer provides. What you do need is to meet the airline's entry criteria, which vary from one airline and country to another. 

Cabin crew are on board for passenger safety first. They check emergency equipment before flights, brief passengers, respond to medical incidents and security issues, and are trained to manage emergencies and evacuations. Service is a big part of the working day, but safety is the part regulators certify and airlines test most carefully. That is why recruiters look for calm judgement, clear communication and teamwork as much as friendliness. 

Day to day, the job means irregular hours, including evenings, weekends and public holidays, and time away from home on longer routes. 

Each airline sets its own criteria, but most look at the same areas: 

• Minimum age. Often 18 or 21, depending on the airline. 
• Reach or height. Many airlines test how high you can reach, because crew must access overhead safety equipment. Some also set height ranges. 
• Education. Usually high school or an equivalent level; a degree is not normally required. 
• Language. Fluent English is commonly required by international airlines. Additional languages can help. 
• Right to work and base. You may need existing work rights in the country, or be willing to relocate. 
• Fitness and checks. Airlines commonly ask for a medical check, background and reference checks, and some require swimming ability. 

A few examples show how much this varies. Emirates asks for applicants aged at least 21 who are willing to relocate to Dubai, where all its cabin crew are based. British Airways requires applicants to already have the right to live and work in the UK and does not sponsor visas for the role. United Airlines requires applicants to be at least 21 and legally authorised to work in the US. In the UK, the National Careers Service says you need to be over 18, and that many airlines ask applicants to be able to swim up to 25 metres. 

A requirement you read about for one airline may not apply to another. Check the details in each vacancy before you apply. 

It helps to separate two layers.
 
Airline requirements are the hiring criteria above. They reflect each airline's operation, aircraft, routes and employment rules, and they are where most of the variation lies. 

Regulatory requirements come from the aviation authority. Cabin crew must complete approved safety training and hold a qualification before working on commercial flights. In the US, that is an FAA certificate of demonstrated proficiency, issued once your airline confirms you have completed its FAA-approved training, including initial operating experience on board. In the UK and EU it is a Cabin Crew Attestation, and the UK CAA sets a minimum age of 18 for it. After initial training, cabin crew continue with recurrent training and checks to stay qualified. 

Usually not. Major airlines, including Emirates, British Airways and United, train new cabin crew themselves, and Ryanair describes its initial training as free. 

Independent courses do exist. In the UK, the National Careers Service lists college courses and a Level 3 cabin crew apprenticeship alongside applying directly to airlines. A course can build knowledge and confidence, and in the UK and EU some approved training organisations can issue a Cabin Crew Attestation. Even so, airlines still train new crew on their own aircraft and procedures. Before paying for one, check whether the airlines you are interested in ask for it. 

The stages vary, but most airlines follow a similar pattern. 

1. Application. Usually online, for a specific base. Some airlines also hold recruitment events; Emirates, for example, runs open days in cities around the world. 
2. Screening. Online questionnaires, situational judgement tests, a language test or a recorded interview. 
3. Assessment day or interview. Many airlines invite shortlisted applicants to group exercises and individual interviews; some interview online. 
4. Conditional offer and checks. Offers usually depend on background, reference and medical checks. 
5. Initial training. Successful applicants join a training course before their first flights. 

How long this takes depends mostly on each airline's recruitment cycle, so allow for gaps between stages. 

Initial training is intensive and concentrates on safety: emergency procedures, evacuation, fire fighting, first aid, security, dangerous goods, crew coordination and the specific aircraft you will work on, alongside the airline's service standards. Much of it is practical, with drills in cabin simulators, often including ditching or water survival exercises. 

Courses typically last several weeks. British Airways describes 4 to 6 weeks for its Heathrow and Gatwick crew, and Emirates seven and a half weeks. These courses include training on the airline's own aircraft and procedures, and recurrent training and checks continue throughout your career. 

Where you apply shapes the job as much as the title does. Before applying, consider: 

• Show relevant experience. Customer-facing roles in hospitality, retail, healthcare or education give you examples of the skills airlines test. Emirates and United both ask for at least a year of customer service experience. 
• Use specific examples. Describe times you handled a difficult situation, worked well under pressure or followed procedures carefully. 
• Prepare for group exercises. They are designed to show how you listen, include others and contribute, so speaking the most is not the aim. 
• Check the practical requirements early. Confirm your right to work, passport and ability to meet any reach test before you apply.