We all know what pilots and flight attendants do. Pilots fly the planes and flight attendants give us the food and drinks and tell us about the emergency exits. The most important aspect of a flight attendants job is assisting passengers in the event of an emergency. Remaining calm and ensuring everyone is taken care of is a high priority.
Since there are many different airport occupation jobs, education and training will vary also. For example, becoming a flight attendant requires those with excellent communication skills. Those who speak an additional foreign language will have better opportunities. Flight attendants must become certified and pass the Federal Aviation Administration or FAA safety exam. The FAA offers a variety of certification and training programs in many aviation occupations from medical to mechanics. With the airline industry suffering over the last decade, competition for flight attendant jobs will be great. There are fewer airlines and cost cutting, so that will equal fewer job prospect opportunities for flight attendants. Many are not accustomed to the schedule of flying and being that planes fly twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week, a flight attendant may work any type of hours on any given day.
Such occupations that include travel on the plane, such as pilots and flight attendants may experience the exciting adventures of travel, but fatigue, jet lag, and stress can also occur from working unusual hours.
Transportation service agents perform duties such as give ticket information, availability, check baggage, and confirm reservations. Being that this type of work deals with the public on a regular basis, transportation service agents must deal with unhappy, unsatisfied travelers whose flights have been delayed or canceled. One thing to make sure that you have is a patient, calm, and professional demeanor. Let’s face it, transportation service agents can’t control the weather and make the planes take off, so why become upset with them because of it?
Being able to speak multiple languages is valuable because not everyone speaks the same language. Educational requirements will vary but overall many learn the airlines policies and procedures in a short amount of time and on the job training is very common. With travelers constantly having to be on time, those who quickly learn security procedures, computer systems, airline code destinations, and other aspects of airline travel will find the best opportunities and advancement.
The state of the economy plays a huge role in the success of failure in the airline industry. If those who used to take their annual vacation and now can’t afford to then it affects ticket sales which will affect airlines business and profits. With the rise of terrorism since 9/11 the airline industry has taken a major financial hit. Slowly the airline industry will come back and start making profits and thrive once again. Airlines try to spark interest in selling tickets by offering deals and vacation packages to foreign countries and also domestically. With very low ticket sales this will affect the airlines industry occupation in many ways. If there are no consumers to buy tickets, fewer flights are taken which lessens the need for pilots, flight attendants, equipment mechanics, and service technicians to work on the planes.
Equipment mechanics and service technicians must ensure that all parts on the plane are working properly before and after take off, such as the landing gear, brakes, engine, heating/cooling systems, and anything else that can break. Being that there are many different sections of a plane, there are a variety of skills which are needed. Examples of sections of the plane include electrical work such as radio communication systems, the exterior of the aircraft, engine maintenance, and hydraulics. Certification is also required by the FAA.
Earnings will depend on occupation, education, experience, and what type of airlines or airport one works for. Flight attendants can make anywhere from $50,000-$60,000 per year, pilots can make $60,000-$80,000, mechanics/technicians $50,000-$57,000, baggage handlers/laborers $20,000-$30,000, and transportation service agents $22,000-$45,000.
