International Flight Attendant Day is held on 31st May each year to recognize the achievements of the profession. This year will mark 90 years since the first-ever flight attendant, Ellen Church, began her employment with Boeing Air Transport.
The role of cabin crew has changed little over the past nine decades. Yet, no challenge has impacted the role quite like the coronavirus. We take a look at some of the issues facing cabin crew today.
Flight attendants make flying possible
Undoubtedly, cabin crew have found themselves on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic. Classed as essential workers, flight attendants are necessary on the few flights that are operating at the moment. While the coronavirus has not so much shaped the duties of the flight attendant, these days, many are finding their jobs look a lot different from what there were some months ago.
In the US, the coronavirus has caused passenger traffic to plummet more than 90%. Between 1st and 14th May, 2.5 million travelers passed through US checkpoints, according to data reported by CNBC. That number is up from last month. However, it represents just a fraction of the typical number of travelers US airports would see at this time. Only 8% of the regular passenger traffic is flowing through US airports.
Reference: https://simpleflying.com/flight-attendants-new-challenge/
