Women At Air India: Beyond The Runway With Its Cabin Crew

Air India's Cabin Crew Story

In aviation, cabin crew members play a role that reaches far beyond the aircraft aisles. This profession requires empathy, resilience, and a steadfast dedication to safety and service. Air India goes behind the scenes with its Cabin Crew member, Munmun Sapna Tirkey, who shares her insights on the detailed preparations for each flight and the pride of delivering warm Indian hospitality in the skies. 

What is the one thing that excites you about being a cabin crew?

Being a cabin crew is first and foremost a responsibility to ensure the safety, comfort, and well-being of our guests. In return, as a traveller, I get to experience vibrant cultures, languages and cuisines as I travel around the world. It is a one-of-a-kind experience that helps you learn and evolve. 

What passengers typically witness is the onboard service that the cabin crew deliver. However, there is a lot that happens behind-the-scenes to ensure flight readiness. Can you give us a glimpse into this? 

Ahead of every flight, I make my notes and as a cabin supervisor I assign work positions in the galley for each crew member after the roster for the flight is released. I plan cabin positions in a manner that a newly inducted crew, if any, can learn from the experienced ones and also ensure that there is consistency in service across all cabin classes. 

On arriving at the airport for my duty, I take note of the aircraft loads and look out for guests travelling with us who may require special assistance. I meet the flight crew, and we do a briefing about the flight plan. Once on board, we do pre-flight checks in the cabin for safety equipment and service requirements and then we are ready to welcome our guests. 

Do you think there is a certain stereotype around the role of a cabin crew and if yes, how would you like to address this? 

Yes, cabin crew are usually stereotyped based on the in-flight services and the hospitality that the guests experience onboard. However,  we are not trained simply to serve guests on a flight.  

We are the first responders during any situation at 35,000 feet. The safety of our guests is paramount and therefore we cannot compromise on any aspect that ensures smooth inflight operations. On walking out of the Air India Training Academy as a professional, we are prepared for any eventuality.

In what ways has Air India contributed to your professional development? 

I started my career as a cabin crew in March 2004. As I grew, I was given an opportunity to head flights as a cabin supervisor and later as one of the base supervisors from 2019 to 2023. The airline has always supported me in evolving as an empathetic, patient and a smarter professional. Also, the recently launched Air India Training Academy has a robust infrastructure and provides a good blend of classroom training and practical application.

A moment of pride that would like to share from your years of service with Air India?

I have led one of the longest flights in Air India with a flying time of approximately 30 hours when the Afghanistan airspace was suddenly closed in April 2019. The flight to Chicago was one of the first to take off from New Delhi after the airspace closure was announced and it made two technical halts at Dubai and then at Vienna before we could finally arrive at our destination. 

Decisions were made at a moment’s notice and the crew signed on for the task despite the long hours. In situations like these, one must really remain composed and ensure that the passengers remain calm as well. I had an excellent team who rose to the occasion and assured the comfort of our guests with the limited resources onboard. 

Air India has always prided itself in its warm Indian hospitality. How do you see that getting carried forward in the ‘New Air India’?

Yes, Air India has been a pioneer of stellar service in the skies, inspiring the likes of Singapore Airlines when they were starting out. This quintessential warm Indian hospitality is at the core of our service even today as we offer the new Air India experience.  

Air India was recently recognised as a four-star global airline for its exceptional standards of service, and this is a testament to the exceptional training that we receive. 

A word of advice for women who wish to build a career in aviation.

Be confident, accept who you are and be the best version of your own self. The sky is the limit!