Business Aviation Flight Attendants Can Be Critical to Safe Operations

Few events better illustrate the importance of safety training for business aviation flight attendants than the tragic Feb. 9, 2024, crash of a business jet near Naples, FL, that claimed the lives of two pilots.

After the apparent failure of both jet engines, the pilots attempted to make an emergency landing on Interstate 75, only to hit a concrete barrier. Remarkably, the jet’s two passengers survived, thanks to a quick-thinking and well-trained flight attendant who guided them out through a baggage compartment door in the tail section.

The accident served as a reminder that flight attendants offer much more value to flight crews and passengers than meal preparation and other inflight cabin services. They also often oversee cabin safety and security procedures.

“Flight attendants are a key part of the overall safety of the aircraft,” said Molly Hitch, NBAA director, educational development and engagement. “We’ve seen how a competent and trained flight attendant can have a critical impact on the safety of operations. So, it’s important that flight attendants receive good training and make sure they’re up-to-date with the latest safety information in the cabin so they can help ensure that passengers and crew are safe if there is an emergency.”

Coping With Cabin Emergencies

While not required on business aviation flights, more aircraft operators are using flight attendants – even on smaller business jets – to oversee passenger safety. Citing business considerations, however, other operators instead train passengers to cope with cabin emergencies or place that responsibility entirely on the flight crew, rather than with a flight attendant.

“When we have a situation on the airplane with a medical or mechanical issue, the pilots’ first responsibility is to do what it takes to get the airplane into a safe environment, which is generally landing as soon as possible,” said Julie Kozma, lead cabin attendant on a Dubai-based Bombardier Global 6000. “So, you really can’t expect any assistance from the flight deck for that reason. That’s the primary reason that you have a cabin crew member – a flight attendant – in the back of the airplane.”

More Emphasis on Safety Training

Clearly, flight attendants must balance an ever-changing list of various responsibilities, which underscores the need for safety training. “I think that there is a theme right now where we’re starting to put a little bit more emphasis on training,” Kozma added.

Still, the positive difference a flight attendant can make aboard a business aviation flight isn’t always completely understood or appreciated.

“I feel like a lot of people think that flight attendants are just there for service, and then it’s only when something big happens that they actually see us as part of the crew,” said Ashlynn Brooks, who became a business aviation flight attendant about three years ago and works full-time on a business jet crew.

Brooks has undergone intensive safety training, which she said makes her better equipped to handle emergencies. Her initial training ran for five days.

“Then, every year, I have to go back for a recurrent two-day safety training session,” she said. “And I have to get CPR-certified every year, and I have to get [defibrillator] training every year. We also do water evacuation training, which I really enjoy. We go out into a pool and throw out the life raft and get to act like it’s an actual situation.”

She also goes through simulator training to fight inflight fires. “It’s really interesting because, obviously, you don’t know how you’re going to act in a situation until you’re in the situation,” Brooks said.

Training for Many Types of Aircraft

Unlike commercial airlines, where each carrier has its own flight attendant safety program that can run for several weeks, business aviation training is more generic, according to longtime flight attendant and trainer Scott Arnold, founder of Sajet Solutions Inc. and adjunct instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Online.

“In business aviation, there are so many different types of aircraft that you can fly on,” said Arnold. “If you’re an initial student, the [business aircraft flight attendant] safety portion is three days, so it is very condensed and action-packed. But it covers the basics.”

Also, unlike the airlines, business flight attendants often have to pay for their own safety training. It can be expensive, but it also makes them more marketable.

“Cabin safety is more of a best practice,” added Arnold. “So, if you’re an independent contractor, you have to pay for your own training to start your career and then continue with recurrent training, which is usually recommended as annual training.”

Hitch said NBAA encourages operators to staff flights with flight attendants who have completed safety training. “As we’ve seen [from the Naples accident] it really can make the difference between life and death.”

Learn more about NBAA scholarships for flight attendants at nbaa.org/scholarships.