Q For safety and growth to be achieved and sustained in the aviation industry, the roles of cabin crew cannot be underestimated.
Forrmer Managing Director of IRS Airlines, Mr Yemi Dada, has said that Cabin Crew occupies special place in the aviation industry which should not be ignored.This is just as he said that the profession must be taken seriously by the practitioners
Dada made the remark as part of his keynote address at the First Ever Cabin Crew Fair held at the Royal Event Centre, Ikeja, Lagos.
The former IRS Airline boss told participants, at event that tthough the profession is very attractive,, however remarked that it requires a lot of hard work, dedication and passion, adding that a Cabin Crew member does other duties apart from the primary one assigned to him or her.
According to him, “Being a Cabin Crew turns you into a nurse, Commercial Officer and gives you other duties such as managing all kinds of people on board the aircraft.”
He commended the organiser of the programme for a job well done, adding the forum would not have come at a better time than now, urging potential Cabin Crew to be focused if they really wanted to be one.
Similarly, in her welcome address, , the organiser of the fair, Joy Ogbebo explained that the need to highlight the strategic role of cabin crew at the workplace, illuminated the oversight role of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA) in the development of the Cabin Crew Career, recognise Cabin Crew Veterans, who have contributed immensely to the growth of the profession, introduce aspiring Cabin Crew to their career choice and help them identify the key skills required, has culminated to the hosting of the fair.
According to her, “Cabin Crew members are highly trained professionals. Their primary duty is to ensure the safety of passengers during flight. Their job is unique. They put the comfort and safety of passengers first and evacuate the passengers within 90 seconds in an event of an emergency. They are the last to leave the aircraft. The level of training they receive makes them well rounded and grounded. They are the sky heroes.”She asserted that flying is an adventurous and glamorous job that opens one to the world with boundless opportunities, comes with a lot of perks and also several challenges.To buttress her point, Ogbebo said,”Imagine having breakfast in Lagos and dinner in London. They Meet world class leaders, superstars and very important personalities. The work schedule is quite flexible compared to the 9-5 jobs. Awesome isn’t it? But it isn’t fun all the way. It’s HARD WORK! It can be quite challenging. Juggling roles most of the time and trying to strike a balance. It could be mentally tasking and sometimes draining. We are constantly working in very sensitive and highly regulated environment. Any slip would result to not only great loss to the company but also bodily harm.”Ogbebo , who is also the Publisher of Mamajsaviationblog, an online platform with focus on Aviation News, a Cabin Crew, Line Trainer and Cabin Crew Manager with 25 years of experience posited that despite the opportunities, the constant risk Cabin Crew are exposed to cannot be ignored .“Imagine doing a job that requires you to prepare for an emergency situation round the clock. Eating late at night, which could be unhealthy, digestive problems, constant exposure to pressurized Cabins, likely physical assault by passengers, jet lag, hijack threat, which has become heightened due to the level of global insecurity? Talk about late payment of salaries/flight allowances or no payment at all, Job insecurity, aggressive and unruly passengers. The list is endless” she said.She stated that one interesting thing about the profession is that the job prepares Cabin Crew for the larger world out there,such as ability to multi task, tolerate people, work in teams and maximise resources in a confined environment, managing people’s expectations and needs comes naturally to them.To further point out what Cabin Crew go through in the course of doing their jobs, she said, “Do you know that most of the time Cabin Crew members eat standing as there is barely enough time between landing time and next departure time?”She continued, “Our office is in the skies. We are unique. The next time you see a Cabin Crew, you are looking at a Safety Officer, whose primary role it is to ensure you are safe onboard, you can get out of the aircraft in the event of an emergency and survive outside the aircraft. A first aider, who will administer first aid treatment on you when you fall ill onboard. A security officer, who is mentally and physically alert to spot a security threat and take necessary precautions to ensure your safety. A psychologist, who is there to check and reassure you. A care-giver. A customer service provider who is onboard to meet your comfort needs and expectation, I see our role as a one role that fits all.
