This is a detailed guide on how to become an air hostess in Nigeria, read to the end to know how to become an air hostess in Nigeria.
Air hostess is one of the most prestigious and well-paid careers in the aviation industry. As an air hostess, you are expected to provide excellent customer care to passengers while ensuring their comfort and safety throughout a flight.
People do not just become air hostesses overnight, there are processes to follow, and without following the right process you can not become an air hostess in Nigeria.
However, if you want to become an air hostess in Nigeria, read this article to the end to gain more insight.
About Air Hostess
Air hostesses are female professional personnel charged with the responsibilities of taking care of passengers and making sure they are comfortable and safe during flight.
The job of a flight attendant when comparable to staff on other forms of transportation revolves more around providing safety to a greater extent.
However, the role of a flight attendant is to ensure the safety and comfort of airline passengers by providing regular services and responding to emergencies.
Air hostesses are normally trained over a period of four weeks to six months depending on the country at the airline headquarters city.
Their training usually centers on safety and the safety training includes the use of evacuation slides/life rafts, in-flight firefighting, emergency passenger evacuation management, decompression emergencies, first aid, CPR, defibrillation, ditching/emergency landing procedures, crew resource management, and security, etc.
However, it is crucial that flight attendants remain alert as most emergencies occur during take-off and landing.
Duties Of Air An Hostess
Air hostess performs many duties while on a flight and some of the duties include:
1. Making Known Safety Procedures
An air hostess makes known the important safety procedures that passengers will need to follow during the trip before an airplane leaves.
Safety procedures and rules help both passengers and cabin crew members arrive at their destination safely without injury or complications.
2. Helping Passengers
An air hostess is tasked with the responsibility of helping passengers with any questions or troubles they may have during the trip.
There is always a button for passengers to press when they need assistance or going through some difficulties.
3. Serving Food And Drinks
An air hostess serves drinks and food to passengers using an airline service trolley during a flight.
After serving food and beverages to passengers, an air hostess must collect any waste to maintain the cleanliness of the plane.
4. Keeping Record Of Plane Products And Passenger Purchases
During a flight, an air hostess may suggest headphones, food, pillows, and blankets that passengers can buy, so an air hostess keeps a record of the products they have on board to sell and process transactions for passengers.
5. Conducting Of Cabin Checks
An air hostess occasionally conducts cabin checks to ensure that everything is fine.
Other duties of an air hostess include:
1. Ensuring that the smoke detector has been enabled by checking on the lavatory.
2. Checking the cockpit regularly to ensure the health and safety of the pilot(s).
3. Responding to call lights dealing with special requests.
4. Ensuring the cabin is secured during problems.
5. Ensuring that all loose items, trays, and trash are collected and secured along with service and galley equipment prior to landing.
6. Ensuring that all hot liquids are disposed of.
7. Carrying out a final cabin check prior to landing.
8. Remaining stationed at exits and monitoring the airplane and cabin as passengers alight the plane.
9. Assisting special needs passengers and small children off the airplane and escorting children to the designated person picking them up.
Also read: List of Local Airlines in Nigeria
Important Skills Of An Air hostess
Here are some important skills that air hostesses need to possess.
1. Customer service
To become an air hostess in Nigeria, you must have customer service skills because you will often welcome, serve and help many passengers and airline customers throughout the day.
You should be able to relate and communicate with people and also have a friendly disposition.
2. Flexible schedule
To become an air hostess in Nigeria, you must be willing to stay away from home sometimes because of the different flight schedules you would find yourself in.
You would be forced to work late or early shifts, so it is important you have a flexible schedule and be able to perform your duties despite the time of the day.
3. Knowledge Of Emergency Protocols
Different airlines have specific emergency protocols in case something suddenly happens in the plane.
As an air hostess, you would have to put the safety procedures into use so it is important for you to have a good understanding of what to do in the event of an emergency.
4. Calm Under Pressure
Remaining calm under pressure is one of the skills you need to possess if you want to become an air hostess. Air hostesses attend to emergencies when they occur, and passengers depend on them for guidance and assistance.
5. Good communication skills
To become an air hostess in Nigeria, you must be able to communicate properly with passengers. You must be able to relay information in a simple and concise way.
6. Excellent interpersonal skills
You must be able to relate and interact well with passengers as an air hostess.
7. Diplomacy And Tact
To become an air hostess in Nigeria, you must have the ability to treat others fairly, regardless of individual biases or beliefs. You must treat others fairly in a sensitive and effective way.
8. Good Color Vision And Hearing
You must have good color vision and hearing as an air hostess to perform your responsibility effectively.
9. Good General Health And Fitness
You must be in good health if you want to become an air hostess in Nigeria because of the strenuous work you will do. You must be physically and mentally fit for this profession before you delve into it.
Also, you must be able to swim because many airlines need cabin staff to be able to swim at least 25m.
10. Assertiveness
You must be self-assured and confident when dealing with passengers as an air hostess. Even when you are countering their point, you must do it in a non-aggressive way.
Also read: Finishing School: Everything you need to know
How to become an air hostess in Nigeria
You do not just wake up to become an air hostess, there are processes to follow to become one. Many people who are successful air hostesses today started preparing for it a long time ago, so preparation precedes success.
However, below are the things to do to become an air hostess in Nigeria.
1. Earn An Undergraduate Degree
The first thing to do to become an air hostess is to earn an undergraduate degree.
Although the highest level of education required to become an air hostess in Nigeria is a diploma, earning an undergraduate degree can give you skills that are valuable to the job and make your resume more enticing to employers.
Air hostess work does not require a specific degree but majoring in communications, public relations, or a foreign language can be very beneficial to your skills and stand you out among other applicants.
All of these majors help you to communicate well with clients, and a foreign language major might land you job opportunities at international airlines.
2. Gain Relevant Work Experience
After getting an undergraduate degree, it is important to gain relevant work experience.
One of the lookouts-for skills and experiences required to be able to work as an air hostess is your ability to interact appropriately with customers.
However, applying for jobs in the customer service industry to gain relevant work experience will be of great advantage when applying for an air hostess position.
3. Get Air Hostess Training And Certification
To become an air hostess in Nigeria, you must get air hostess training and certification. There are several flight attendant schools in Nigeria like the International Aviation College you can attend to become a certified flight attendant.
When you get trained as an air hostess, you will have adequate skills to perform the work and you will easily be chosen when you apply for the air hostess position. However, you will be trained in courses such as
1. Airport Ground Services
2. Air Hostess and Flight Steward
3. Aviation Cargo
4. Aviation Security Awareness Basic
5. Hospitality & Customer Services
6. Pilot Training (MPL)
7. Flight Dispatcher (to be launched)
8. Aviation and Hospitality Management
9. Hospitality, Travel, and Customer Service
10. Professional Cabin Crew Services
11. Air-Hostess Hospitality Training
4. Apply For Air Hostess Position At An Airline
When you have gained the necessary work experience and get trained and certified as an air hostess, the next thing is to apply for an air hostess position at an airline.
Search for open-air hostess positions, and make sure you go for the ones that serve areas you would like to live in or visit.
Air Hostess Schools In Nigeria
There are many air hostess schools in Nigeria, and below are some of the air hostess schools you can attend to become an air hostess.
1. Eagle Air Flight Training Centre Minna, Niger State.
2. Anis International School of Aviation and Transportation Studies, Lagos State.
3. Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Zaria, Kaduna State.
4. Universal School of Aviation, Lagos State.
5. YMS Aviation Schools Lagos State.
6. YMS Aviation Schools.
7. International Aviation College.
8. Dhaewood Aviation Business School (DABS).
That is all on how to become an air hostess in Nigeria, I hope it helps you become an air hostess.