Small town girls find career in aviation

Chennai: With an estimated 40,000 new cabin crew jobs to be created by airlines operating about 750 aircraft by 2010, Indian aviation is spreading its wings to reach youngsters from smaller cities and villages.
“For young people, aviation is the future. On being recruited as in-flight personnel, students who are fresh out of school can earn salaries between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 a month,” said Pawan Kumar Gupta, managing director, Peekay Holidays Private Limited.
While a job with Emirates, which offers a salary of Rs 60,000 is the most sought-after, students have a variety of options to choose from.
However, the conditions that airlines have in place for selection tend to exclude a majority of the students. “Girls have to be at least 157 cm tall (5’1″) while the minimum height for boys is 167 cm (5’5″). Airlines stress on height since attendants have to be tall enough to reach the overhead bins. They also insist that candidates should have clear skin,” said K C S Kannan, Branch Manager, Air Hostess Academy (AHA) – Chennai, which offers a one-year Diploma in Aviation Hospitality Management.
Training institutes, therefore, offer a syllabus focusing on aspects common to different professions. “Our course caters to the aviation, travel and hospitality sectors. Though most students want to fly, we train them for other jobs as well so they have something to fall back on,” said Benjamin Verghese of Frankfinn Institute.
To encourage vocational courses, the state has introduced a scheme under the aegis of the Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing Corporation (TAHDCO) to enroll 200 boys and girls at AHA with a monthly stipend of Rs 200 each.
06/05/08 Karthika Gopalakrishnan/Times of India