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Behind safety, hospitality feats at 30,000 feet
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Singapore Airlines crew member on board an Airbus A380. (Shutterstock.com/Sorbis)
F
requent travelers may take the smiles of the flight attendants who serve them food and drink and their agile responses to passenger requests for granted.
However, such hospitality and responsive attitudes definitely come from plenty of continuous training sessions, like those being held at the Singapore Airlines School for Cabin Crew.
“The school has tight schedules given that about 7,000 cabin crew from Singapore Airlines alone attend a wide range of training,” Foo Juan Fang, Singapore Airlines' assistant manager for cabin crew training, told journalists on the occasion of a school visit ahead of an inaugural non-stop flight to its third German city, Düsseldorf, on Thursday, using the airline’s latest Airbus A350-900.
Cabin crew are subject to wide range of training, from aircraft safety, grooming and business class handling. Some experienced ones even do some extra sessions, learning other skills and knowledge, like wine testing.
(Read also: How to deal with jet lag)
During the tour to the school situated near Changi International Airport in Singapore, several groups of would-be cabin crew took turns doing safety drills to learn how to respond to emergency crises, like when fire breaks out inside an aircraft.
“They should learn to overcome the crisis as soon as possible and ensure the safety of all passengers within 90 seconds,” said Jason Seow, Singapore Airlines' safety training executive.
Cabin crew are also trained to be able to help passengers deal with sea landings in a wave-controlled pool.
Meanwhile, Shirley Han, social etiquette consultant for Singapore Airlines, said flight attendants needed to know techniques and tips to behave gracefully and confidently on board and stand up straight during long haul flights.
“Techniques may be a great help, but more importantly they have to love their job and love serving people,” she said.
The school also trains cabin crew from its subsidiaries and partners.
Singapore Airlines remains the best airline in Asia, the third best in the world, according to the latest passenger survey by international air transport rating organization Skytrax. (kes)
