International Flight Attendant Day 2019

Since 2015, International Flight Attendant Day has been celebrated around the world. This day recognizes the dedicated, hardworking flight crews who get up early, stay late and keep a smile on their faces to ensure the safety, comfort and well-being of their passengers.

Being a flight attendant is a unique and often misunderstand profession. Passengers are usually unaware of the depth and scope of the job beyond the interactions of ordering a tasty beverage from the drink cart.

Flight attendants are highly trained professionals for an array of circumstances. A day in the life of a flight attendant might look like administering oxygen to a sick person, deplaning unruly passengers, providing emotional support to those flying under stressful situations, assisting injured or elderly persons to and from the lavatory, noticing unsafe situations before they begin and generally being in a constant state of hyper-awareness throughout the whole of boarding, take-off and landing.

A flight attendant must have a plethora of well-toned social skills in order to maintain a safe flight.  Flying often means giving up control. As a passenger you have little to no options regarding personal space and movement beyond the confines of the aircraft. Psychologically, this can make one feel like a rat in a cage, often pushing people to their limits. The joke goes that when passengers check their bags, they check their brains as well. Ultimately it’s the airplane environment that tests the basic human right to control one’s own world. When that right is taken away, so is the “brain” so to speak. Flight attendants understand this and act accordingly.  When you see flight attendants keeping their cool while someone is having a panic attack or throwing a tantrum, you might think them otherworldly. But flight attendants know what’s really going on and use the skills they learned in training and on the job to deescalate the high emotions and reestablish peace and tranquility. This is a very important skill. Without it, a situation could easily become dangerous or even life threatening.   

If you recently had an uneventful flight, then you had highly skilled flight attendants on board. Let them know you appreciate them by thanking them next time you fly! Even if you didn’t see them beyond the beverage cart, they are working hard for you and ensuring your flight is safe and comfortable.

Thank you to all the flight attendants everywhere around the world!

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