Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
""Your life vest is located under your seat. To put the vest on, slip it over your head,"" the standard safety lecture begins.
Some passengers roll their eyes when the flight attendant goes through the life vest drill.
Others do not completely ignore the instructions. They promptly locate their life vest, then stuff it in their bag to take home as a souvenir, said Batavia Air flight attendant Ratna
""It sounds simple. In fact, it requires a special technique. We go through it carefully with passengers but many of them ignore us,"" the 24-year-old, who has been working for the airline for two years, told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of wet drill training Friday.
The training, attended by 20 Batavia Air cabin crew, was held in the swimming pool of the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta.
The flight attendants were taught how to inflate a life vest while jumping and how to use the life raft, including lifting passengers into it. It is important for a passenger not to inflate their life vest before exiting the aircraft because its bulkiness can prevent them from getting out.
However, during the training session, some of the younger attendants struggled to inflate their life vests while jumping into the swimming pool. Jerking the tabs on the side is not as easy as it sounds.
Many people have expressed concerns over flight safety amid fierce competition since the liberalization of the country's airline industry several years ago.
Some observers fear that budget carriers, which often lease older planes for their fleets, might sacrifice flight safety and aircraft maintenance in order to keep their operational costs down.
Cahya, a Batavia Air safety instructor and senior flight attendant, said the company provided regular training for all cabin crew.
""We remind cabin crew they must control their emotions. It's essential they stay calm so they can guide passengers to use the safety equipment and jump through the exits,"" she said.
Batavia Air employs 14 pilots and 250 flight attendants.
