THE need for cabin crew to urgently adapt to new trends and challenges took the centre stage at the just concluded Cabin Crew Fair 2021 in Lagos.
With the Covid pandemic, speakers at the event emphasised that, the cabin crew must be ready to make the necessary adjustments as regards dressing and attending to passengers.
Participants also agreed that there were lots of opportunities for them with the emergence of new airlines and aircraft acquisitions.
Speaking on the theme: The Evolving Cabin Crew Profession , Then and Now”, President, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Nwuba said the cabin crew apart from playing their major duties of ensuring passenger safety onboard the aircraft and during emergencies, had to do more in showing empathy.
According to him, cabin crew as an interface between the airline and passengers, have the duties of reassuring the passengers that they were in good hands onboard and to do all they can to give passengers a good travel experience that would make them want to fly again maybe with their airline.
Nwuba while saying a lot was being done in terms of technology especially in the use of robots instead of humans to attend to passengers, however declared that as good as it may be, the cabin crew will always be in the cabin.
“You can imagine what robots would do to passengers if they refuse their order, they don’t have feelings, they can’t empathize with you but the cabin crew does”.
In her opening remarks, organiSer of the fair, Mamaj Aviation Academy, Ms. Joy Ogbebo noted that, with the COVID-19, cabin attendants must up their game as smart people in their appearance, attitude and in other areas.
Describing the role that cabin attendants play in the safety value chain as critical, Ogbebo said this had become more critical with the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The pioneer President National Cabin Crew Association of Nigeria (NACCAN), Mr Olumide Ohunayo who walked down memory lane to highlight the struggle to form the association for the sake of being certified and licensed urged them to revive the moribund association.
He stated that, reviving the association would help to emphasise the critical roles the attendants play in safety.
Also speaking at the event, Chairman, Airport Business Summit and NIGAV Centre, Mr . Fortune Idu said, the role played by the cabin attendants was often not mentioned and because they had been relegated in the safety value chain, many saw them as those responsible for only serving tea and coffee onboard the aircraft.
According to him, because of their critical role, the Nigeria Aviation Award (NIGAV) organiser put in place an award for the King and the Queen of the Air where cabin attendants from different airlines are expected to compete to be crowned and win cash award.
His words: “Apart from boosting passenger satisfaction and security on board airplanes, cabin attendants handle unruly and violent passengers, Cabin crew are a very important part of the passenger experience.”
The Fair drew cabin attendants from all the domestic airlines, including from the private service charter and prospective cabin attendants.
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