Air Hostess or Flight attendant or flight steward are members of an aircrew employed primarily to ensure the safety and secondly the comfort of passengers during flights. Every airline aims at providng a complete in-flight service to its passengers. In-flight service is the pivotal part of the whole operation system of an airlines. And the responsibility of in-flight service lies on the shoulders of the Cabin Crew commonly known as Air Hostess or Flight Attendant. On this ground it would not be an exggeration to say that in many ways Air Hostess are the brand ambassadors of an airline.

There are a number of duties of an Air hostess or a flight attendant. The first and foremost is that they have to make passengers feel comfortable so that they have a wonderful journey. Greeting passengers, making sure that they are seated properly, addressing their requirements, providing special care and attention to children, elderly and disabled passengers and making the regulatory announcements are some of the responsibilities of an Air Hostess. Along with this, the flight attendant's duties are safety related. Prior to each flight, flight attendants attend a safety briefing with the pilots and purser. During this briefing they go over safety and emergency checklists, the locations and amounts of emergency equipment and other features specific to that aircraft type.

Many young girls opt for this career because of the exciting experience of flying, visiting different places, interacting with different kinds of people on board and for the attractive pay package. Air Hostess job is for those with an inclination towards customer service, and more importantly, a passion to fly. Though this career offers an exciting experience and a handsome salary, it is not as easy as it seems. This is a highly demanding job which involves odd duty hours and requires a lot of patience. Air hostess' duty is not just to serve food and drinks. They are to handle passengers during any emergencies, counsel passengers and provide first aid services. And those who can handle the tiresome and unpredictable lifestyle, there's nothing quite like flying through the air as an Air hostess.

A flight attendant may perform the following tasks:
> conduct pre-flight cabin checks and receive prepared meals, beverages and equipment
> check boarding passes and direct passengers to seats
> advise passengers of safety regulations
> distribute reading material and serve meals and drinks
> provide first aid treatment and assist sick passengers
> anticipate and provide for the comfort of passengers needing special attention, including unaccompanied children, parents with infants, people with disabilities, the elderly and non-English-speaking passengers
> take action in the event of decompression, turbulence, mechanical malfunction, or unlawful acts by passengers
> prepare for emergency landings and the evacuation of passengers.

Eligibility for an airhostess-training Programme is plus two (+2). For a person with a diploma degree in Aviation / Hotel Management or Tourism Management can also pursue graduation degree in Aviation. But more important, the applicant should be physically fit with a pleasing personality and good communication skills. Eligibility for Air hostess job is based on a written test, group discussion and personal interview with a panel of aviation experts. The aspirant must be eligible to hold a Nepali Passport (for applying to International airlines) with a minimum height of 157.5 centimeters. Minimum arm reach of 212cms (on tip toes), which enables you to reach emergency equipment on all aircraft types The weight should be in proportion to height. Further, one must be unmarried, with normal eyesight of 6/6 uncorrected vision in each eye (relaxable depending on the airline- for example Lufthansa airline also employs married ladies). Fluency in English, Nepali, and knowledge of an international language is an added advantage.

JOB PROSPECTS
Employement can be found with private owned domestic as well as international airlines. The job of an Air hostess is one of the most sought after career in the aviation job market. With privatisation and foreign collaboration increasing every day, the future of an airhostess is very appealing. With increasing competition among private airlines companies in Nepal, the service and fleet size of these companies are ever expanding. This has created a good prospect of job for an air hostess in Nepal. Career as a flight attendant last for about 8- 10 years, after that you could move on to the other duties like checking hostess, flight hostess/ flight attendant trainer of worked in the management level. One can also diversify into any one of the other departments in the airline industry. An Air Hostess has every chance to be promoted to the post of Senior Flight Attendant and then Head Attendant.

The average fee for Air Hostess Training program ranges from Rs. 30,000/- to Rs. 40,000/-. Generally, the duration of training course is from Three to Four months.

Some of the popular institutes providing Air Hostess Training course in Nepal are as follows:

1. Flytech International
Address: New Plaza, Putalisadak, Kathmandu and Chabahil, Chuchchepati, Kathmandu
Phone : 977-1-4532169 | 9841245427 (Putalisadak), 977-1-4497736 | 4493661 (Chabahil)

2. Global Wings
Address:  Putalisadak, Kathmandu
Phone: 014233864,015351689, 9802070971

3. Air Hostess Training Institute Private Limited
Address: New Baneshwor, Kathmandu
Phone: 4783564, 9813624316

4. Sahara International Airhostess Academy
Address: Durbarmarg, Kathmandu and Rajmarg Chauraha, Butwal
Phone: Kathmandu Office - 014262216 , 9802670421; Butwal Office - 071550360 , 9857038851

5. Geeta Aviation
Address: Putalisadak, Kathamndu
Phone: 977-1-4218313, 977-1-4216286, 977-9801010102