How tall Do You Have To Be A Flight Attendant?

The height requirements are frequently discussed among aspirants, so this article explains, “How tall do you have to be a flight attendant.”

You might be thinking, how tall do you have to be a flight attendant, or if there are any specific height requirements if you wish to work as a flight attendant?

While each airline may have slightly different criteria, a flight attendant should generally be between 5 ft 2 inches (159 cm) and 3 inches (192 cm) tall without shoes.

Some airlines furthermore demand an arm reach test from prospective flight attendants.

Candidates are then requested to lift their hands and reach for a mark on a wall approximately 9 inches high while not wearing shoes.

Some believe they are too tall to become an Air Hostess or Air Stewardess, but the majority think they’re too short. Many people who want to join the cabin crew believe they don’t satisfy the height criteria.

So, don’t worry; we’ve done a lot of research to help you understand a flight attendant’s height and physical criteria. We’ve also covered several other countries’ airlines, making it easier for you to decide where to apply.

Let’s get into it!

How tall Do You Have To Be A Flight Attendant

How tall Do You Have To Be A Flight Attendant?

Airlines set height restrictions for flight crew not out of discrimination but for security. The ability of the cabin crew to access the overhead storage spaces unassisted is a need for their safety. Not because they must assist travelers with their bags but for a much more crucial reason: for everyone’s safety. The ceiling stowage bins are where a lot of the safety gear is housed.

Remember that the flight attendant’s first responsibility is to ensure your safety, so they must access emergency supplies like fire gloves, medical kits, oxygen bottles, fire extinguishers, defibrillators, and personal protective equipment (PPE) if necessary.

Additionally, the Flight Attendant must be tall enough to use a fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire in an above storage box. Airlines are typically highly tight concerning the minimum height standards for flight attendants due to these safety concerns because the flight crew needs to be able to do any required jobs.

What Height Must Be Attained To Be An Air Hostess?

Since different aircraft have different heights for the overhead baggage compartment, there aren’t any standard height criteria for flight attendants. Various airlines have other minimum height requirements for flight attendants; however, the minimum height is often around 157 cm (5′ 2″) without shoes.

What Happens if You’re Shorter Than The Minimal Height Requirement To Become a Flight Attendant?

Airlines are typically extremely severe when passing the height assessment for safety reasons. Suppose you don’t meet the minimum height requirement on several Flight Crew Assessment Days. In that case, you will frequently be sent home immediately, occasionally even before you can turn in your CV for the Cabin Crew.

On the other hand, some airlines are more accommodating, and if you are a few centimeters short, they might let you go, depending on how the hiring managers feel that particular day. This is particularly true if you possess a trait the airline seeks in recruiting.

For instance, you speak a language they need, and there aren’t many other individuals who fit the bill. They might offer you some flexibility if your height is a little below what is required if you standout out for a definite cause, or if they just have to recruit many flight attendants at that moment.

Some airlines may offer you some wiggle room if you technically fall short of their minimum height criteria but still meet the arm reach standards since they concentrate more on your arm reaching than your height.

Do All Airlines Measure Flight Attendants’ Height?

You might be relieved to learn that some airlines only conduct a reach test, not a height test. When choosing which companies to apply to, being short might be a factor to consider.

Take Hawaiian Airlines as an example. They only require the Flight Crew to have an 82-inch vertical reach rather than doing a height test (208 cm). The team must stand with both bare feet on the ground to do a vertical distance. Extend their dominant arm so their fist is far above the floor. And Alaskan Air just requires their flight crew to have an 80-inch vertical reach!

There are no height or reach requirements for flight attendants working for Southwest Airlines! They just demand that Flight Attendants be able to carry out their regular duties in a manner that complies with safety regulations.

Comparing airlines before you apply is very worthwhile if you’re a little smaller!

Test of Arm Reach for Flight Attendant

In addition to the height test, several companies also conduct an arms reach trial. Only an arms reach test is used by some airlines.

The arm reaching test requires a standard reach of 212cm (6’9″).

You will need to use any of your arms to reach up to a specific height marker on the ceiling while barefoot during the arm reach exam. Most airlines request one component; however, some may request both arms simultaneously to reach the landmark.

You can get there without shoes, but you can’t jump; you have to be able to reach with at least a portion of both of your feet on the floor. The fingertips must extend over the marker, and your palm should be flat against the test wall. Removing your jacket or blazer is acceptable because doing so can occasionally make it harder for you to reach higher objects.

On the Etihad Assessment Day, they would measure your height barefoot because Etihad Airways has an essential height requirement of 165cm (5’4′′). On tiptoes, you must have an arm reaching 212 cm. Again, they will assess this to ensure you satisfy their qualifications to work as a flight attendant.

What if you believe your height prevents you from working as a flight attendant?

Don’t entirely rule out a profession as a flight attendant just because you believe your height falls short of what is required. One of my friends was a few centimeters under the minimum height limit. She marked her bedroom wall with a marker at 212 cm above the floor in the weeks following her evaluation day. This was the height the particular airline required for the reach test, and she tried to achieve it daily.

You may always attempt this strategy to practice lengthening your arm reach, but when she began, she was just a few centimeters away from reaching it, but after a few days, she could achieve it. Since airlines typically don’t care which arm you use, I would advise always practicing with that arm. You can also perform various arm stretches to enable you to reach farther. Many flight attendants claimed that stretching frequently helped them go higher, so give it some thought!

We advise applying regardless, practicing the reaching test & stretching, and crossing your fingers that you meet the height standards for the particular airline you are looking for. If you clear the arms reach trial, several airlines are far more lenient with their height limits. We would advise before going to an evaluation day and just giving it a try if flying is something you genuinely want to get into because you never know what could happen.

Is there a height restriction to work as a flight attendant?

Depending on the aircraft they operate, the airlines will again have their standards and requirements for determining if you are too tall to be a flight attendant. For instance, taller flight attendants might not be able to fit in some shorter narrow-body aircraft. Still, they might be able to work in wide-body aircraft (more typical of international flights), where the ceiling is more significant.

Height standards would guarantee that a flight attendants can stand up without straining and that they aren’t taller than the maximum height. Most flight attendants must be under 6’3″ (190cm) tall to work efficiently in the airplane.

Airlines often accept candidates between 5’3″ and 6’2″ in height, but this might differ between airlines, so always double-check with the one you would like to apply to.

The following airlines hire shorter flight attendants:

Mainly some domestic US carriers will hire applicants shorter than the standard height requirement for international flight attendants. Because of the reduced size of the aircraft, it is easier to reach the overhead stowages. For instance:

Commun Air: starting at 5’0″Due to the aircraft size, note that there aren’t any exemptions to these height limits. In these kinds of aircraft, a person higher over this would not be capable of standing and operating comfortably.

If you are based outside of the USA, examine domestic airlines there rather than foreign ones because their height restrictions may occasionally be different and more liberal because of how many aircraft they fly.

Other Requirements for Flight Attendants

Additional specifications for flight crew include:

The Required Weight

There are no set weight restrictions for flight attendants. Still, most airlines will examine to see if potential cabin crew members are proportionate, appear to be a healthy weight, and can wear the flight attendant’s uniform.

However, you’ve probably noticed that, in general, you don’t see a noticeably obese or overweight flight attendant. This is because these individuals still need to be reasonably fit to operate the heavy cabin doors, assist in an emergency, sit in the jumpseat, tie down their harnesses, and stand for extended periods.

Becoming a flight attendant is a physically demanding profession that needs a lot of lifting and stamina; thus, most people who apply to be cabin crew are in generally good condition. You should use a BMI calculator to evaluate your weight and height data before your assessment day.

Try to stay within the typical healthy range, but if you are a bit overweight, don’t let that stop you from applying. On the assessment day, your physical fitness is not evaluated.

Age Requirements: 

However, several airlines, including Etihad, Emirates, and Qatar, and those located in the USA, like Delta, have a minimum age requirement of 21.

This is because, in the nations where these airlines are based, the legal drinking and serving age are 21. It depends on the airline because some would want you to be at least 19 / 20 when applying.

As opposed to asking about the age limit criteria for flight attendants, some customers also inquire as to whether there is a maximum age limit. Given that so many flight attendants these days are youthful, they may wonder if they are too old to work as one.

They aren’t too elderly, to put it simply. Many people decide to pursue a career as a flight attendant in later life. Without any prior experience, I am aware of persons in their 40s and 50s who switched to a profession as a flight attendant. Your age won’t stop qualifying as a flight attendant if you complete the other conditions. Airlines are not permitted to reject an older applicant merely because they’d prefer someone younger. After all, age discrimination is forbidden.

Although there is no maximum age requirement to qualify as a flight attendant in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, this is undoubtedly not the situation in Middle Eastern, Asian, and Indian carriers. These nations typically only hire persons in their early twenties and early thirties and regularly practice age discrimination.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that, despite not explicitly stating a maximum age on their websites, certain airlines’ preferences and what they ‘officially’ state may differ significantly to avoid coming across as discriminatory. They frequently have “hidden” standards that they won’t discuss because they know that doing so would result in harsh criticism, lawsuits, and other negative consequences.

Tattoos and piercings:

Tattoos and piercings: While wearing the flight attendant uniform, they are permitted to have hidden tattoos, like those on their torso, upper thigh, back, etc 

Flight Attendants aren’t permitted to cover tattoos that would be visible while wearing the Flight Crew uniform using bandages or cosmetics.

Another common query is if flight attendants are permitted to wear piercings.

Most airlines allow female flight attendants have one piercing in each ear lobe. No other visible body parts, such as the lips, nose, or eyebrows, may be pierced. Always check the policies of the company you are planning to apply to because each airline has different standards.

Citizenship or the ability to legally labor there:

To work as a flight attendant, several airlines need you to be a citizen of that nation 

Similar rules apply in the US; you must be a US resident or a legal resident alien (PR).

Appearance: 

As the public face of the company and the person passengers will interact with most frequently, the flight attendant’s public persona is crucial. It’s critical for flight attendants to offer a polished image so they can effectively represent the airline.

Flight Attendants must conform to a specific style and image standards and regulations regarding their appearance. Having a tidy and professional appearance is one of the prerequisites for a flight attendant’s appearance. Female flight attendants should wear tidy cosmetics and have sleek and well-kept haircuts.

Make sure you dress smartly and have your hairdo (and makeup) done as though you were a professional flight attendant for the flight crew assessment day. Depending on the airline, Invisalign braces are typically accepted as long as they aren’t noticeable.

English Proficiency: 

If you wish to work as a flight crew in an English-speaking nation like the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom, you must be proficient in the language.

Additionally, you must clear an English test on the Evaluation Day if you apply to work as a flight crew for Qatar, Etihad, or Emirates. Despite having their headquarters in Arab nations, many airlines speak English because it is the language for aviation and the bulk of their passengers. If you want to apply for a job with one of these three Middle Eastern airlines, you do not need to speak Arabic.

Drug Test

Airlines require you to be drug-free before employment and to submit to regular testing for drugs and alcohol in the future before performing your operational tasks. Remember that some drugs, including marijuana, can stay in your bloodstream fanger than alcohol.

Flight Smoking is discouraged among flight attendants, and if they do, they should avoid smoking in public while in uniforms during or following a flight.

Qualifications: 

A graduate degree is not necessary to work as a flight attendant. Airlines will demand that aspiring flight attendants possess a high school degree or an equivalent qualification. Even though having a degree from a reputable university is frequently seen among flight attendants, it is not a prerequisite.

Many cabin crew members wouldn’t have a university degree if they went straight into flying after finishing college or A Levels, especially in carriers like British Airways and Virgin, where the age requirement to work as a flight attendant is 18.

Passport

As essential as it may appear, you must have a current passport to work as a flight attendant.

Swimming Ability

You must swim well since you never know when you might need to use the sea to your advantage. During your training, you will put your capability to swim without even a life jacket to the test, so at least you have time to practice if you don’t already have it.

Criminal background check: 

You will need to submit a criminal history check during the employment procedure for flight attendants.

Eyesight:

There is no requirement for perfect vision, and contact lenses or spectacles are permissible for cabin crew. If you need glasses or contact lenses, be sure to have them because they must have a replacement set onboard.

Frequent Travelling

You may need to relocate to a different city or country for some Flight Attendant positions, and you’ll need to learn how to adjust to being away from home, your friends, and your family. You must also be comfortable occasionally spending a few days away from your headquarters.

Communication Skills

While not a physical need, good communication and customer support skills are unquestionably a requirement employers look for when hiring flight attendants. Airlines require flight attendants with excellent people skills who are kind, kind, and empathetic. Since flight attendants are frequently regarded as the company’s public face, they must possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills. They will test your ability to interact with others in several activities on the assessment day.

Conclusion:

We hope that after reading this article, you will be able to comprehend how tall a flight attendant must be. We hope that was beneficial to you and that we addressed all the requirements for the flight attendant. When contrasted to other careers, becoming a flight attendant may seem to have a lot more prerequisites, and in many ways, this is true! However, don’t let this discourage you — most individuals can satisfy these needs, and being a flight crew is an excellent career!

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