Flight attendant
A flight attendant is an airline crew member responsible for passenger assistance, cabin safety procedures, and emergency response aboard an aircraft.
Cabin safety demonstration: A preflight briefing showing passengers how to use safety equipment and follow aircraft emergency procedures. It introduces safety rules before flight attendants check that the cabin is prepared for departure.
Cabin crew: The personnel who work in an aircraft cabin, including flight attendants and, on some aircraft, a purser. Flight attendants are the principal passenger-facing members of the cabin crew.
Ellen Church: An American nurse and pilot who became the first female flight attendant in 1930. Her 1930 appointment by Boeing Air Transport helped establish the modern cabin-crew role.
Sexism in aviation: Discrimination and unequal treatment based on sex within aviation industries and institutions. Early hiring and employment rules often imposed gendered appearance, age, and marriage restrictions on flight attendants.
Cabin secure: A confirmed aircraft-cabin state in which passengers and equipment are prepared for takeoff or landing. Flight attendants inspect seats, trays, bags, and passengers to establish this required state.
Flight deck: The aircraft compartment from which pilots control and monitor the aircraft. Flight attendants communicate with the flight deck about cabin conditions and emergencies.
Boeing Air Transport: A United States airline formed in 1927 that became part of United Airlines. It hired Ellen Church and seven other nurses as flight attendants in 1930.
Flight attendants' labor rights: The workplace protections and employment rights of flight attendants. Collective action challenged rules governing pay, hours, safety, and discriminatory job requirements.
Safety card: An aircraft-specific printed guide illustrating exits, restraints, and emergency procedures. Flight attendants direct passengers to this guide as a complement to the spoken demonstration.
Aviation safety: The practices, regulations, and systems used to prevent aviation accidents and reduce harm. Safety duties are a central part of flight attendants’ work, not merely an addition to service.