L-R: Dora Ndabai, pilot at United Nigeria; Bernice Kunbi Leshi, chief operating officer, Bellagio Air; Esther Shittu, head, aero medical standards, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); Chris Najomo, acting director general, NCAA; Joy Ogbebo, convener; Donald Tonye Spiff, director, operations, licensing  and training, NCAA; and Tolulope Dawodu, instructor,  Caverton Helicopters

Sade Williams/Business a.m.

The safety and comfort of passengers are at the heart of the duties and responsibilities of airline cabin crew members, Chris Najomo, acting director general of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has suggested in a recent admonition asking them to bear the importance of discharging their duties in mind.

At the 7th Cabin Crew Fair organised by MamaJ Aviation Consult in Lagos Najomo itemised the role of a cabin crew member to include, acting as safety personnel; ensuring they are competent and current through continuous training and participation in professional development; acting as security officials; acting as health officials; being customer care personnel and working as part of a team consisting of fellow cabin crew, cockpit crew and ground personnel.

He noted that their responsibilities cut across a range of
areas critical to the safety and/or comfort of air travellers, adding that the cabin crew member is known to conduct safety checks and review the availability and serviceability of on-board safety equipment, including reviewing emergency procedures before and during flights as well as responding to emergencies and evacuating passengers if required.

Furthermore, Najomo stated that the cabin crew member would also ensure strict compliance to security regulations for the secure conduct of flights apart from providing basic first aid and medical assistance and dealing with on-board medical emergencies.

“As flight attendants, you are the face of aviation to passengers, and your dedication to safety, customer service, and passenger care is truly commendable and cannot be overemphasised.

“An interesting fact about the responsibilities of cabin crew is that they are multi-facet. Those responsibilities cut across a range of areas critical to the safety and/or comfort of air travellers. Part of your responsibilities is assisting passengers with special needs and requests, managing passenger conflicts and maintaining a calm atmosphere throughout the flight, and very importantly, working as part of a team consisting of fellow cabin crew, cockpit crew and ground personnel while adapting to changing situations like turbulence and sometimes flight delays,” he said.

While assuring them of NCAA’s support, Najomo stressed the importance of safety, adding that the primary concern of the authority is the safety of all passengers and crew.

“We are, therefore, committed to supporting you in your roles and providing the necessary guidance and resources to ensure that our skies remain safe and secure. I had said this before and I will reiterate it here: Safety is not a destination, but rather, a journey so we must continue to work towards safety.

“The NCAA has been collaborating on more effective ways of conducting our regulatory functions, by engaging with industry experts and other stakeholders,” Najomo added.

Stakeholders also spoke about the prerequisite of a cabin crew, noting that a would-be cabin crew member would have to go through the necessary aeromedicals before being certified by the NCAA.

Joy Ogbebi, chief executive officer, MamaJ Consult, spoke about the series of inquiries she received on aeromedicals and sometimes, rejection of would-be cabin crew by the department, saying that the regulations must be followed to the letter in certification of a crew member.