I toured Singapore's flight attendant training facility and I was surprised to see how physically demanding the 4-month program can be

Taylor RainsMar 14, 2023, 23:45 IST

Singapore Airlines runs the world's longest flight attendant training program.Taylor Rains/Insider

Singapore Airlines flight attendants must go through rigorous training before working on a real flight.
Drills include battling a wave pool, carrying human-sized dummies, and learning every wine onboard.

Airline flight attendants are not just customer service agents.

Singapore Airlines flight attendants onboard the carrier's A380 in 2020 when it was turned into a restaurant.Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images

Yes, interacting with passengers and serving drinks is part of the job, but crew members must also go through weeks-long training to learn things like emergency evacuations and first aid.

Singapore Airlines' A380 economy cabin.Taylor Rains/Insider

Yes, interacting with passengers and serving drinks is part of the job, but crew members must also go through weeks-long training to learn things like emergency evacuations and first aid.

Aviation regulators determine how many flight attendants must be present for a flight to take off. In the US, there is one flight attendant for every 50 passengers…

An Allegiant flight attendant.David Becker/AP

Aviation regulators determine how many flight attendants must be present for a flight to take off. In the US, there is one flight attendant for every 50 passengers…

…meaning a 175-seater Boeing 737 must have a minimum of four. According to ICAO, the staffing requirement ensures flight attendants can "effectively conduct a timely evacuation and increase the survivability of passengers during an accident."

Southwest Boeing 737-800, which has 175 seats. ICAO is the International Civil Aviation Organization and sets international airline standards for things like safety, security, and environmental protection.Steven M. Keller

…meaning a 175-seater Boeing 737 must have a minimum of four. According to ICAO, the staffing requirement ensures flight attendants can "effectively conduct a timely evacuation and increase the survivability of passengers during an accident."

Insider went behind the scenes at Singapore Airlines' flight attendant training center to learn about the program and expectations — take a look.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Singapore Airlines is regularly rated one of the best in the world and its inflight crew was named "world's best cabin staff" in 2022 by ranking website Skytrax.

A Singapore Airlines flight lands in Bali, Indonesia in March 2022.Johannes P. Christo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

And, it's no surprise after seeing the drills and courses trainees must go through before they can work a real flight. According to Singapore, the entire process takes four months — the longest worldwide.

By comparison, Delta Air Lines flight attendant training is six weeks, while Air New Zealand's is only four weeks. A Singapore spokesperson told Insider the "comprehensive programme covers almost every in-flight customer touchpoint."Taylor Rains/Insider

And, it's no surprise after seeing the drills and courses trainees must go through before they can work a real flight. According to Singapore, the entire process takes four months — the longest worldwide.

Some basic hiring requirements include being at least 18 years old, having a "pleasant personality," being fluent in English, and meeting certain height requirements — 5'2" for women and 5'4" for men.

According to Singapore, the minimum heights are in place to "carry out safety and emergency procedures onboard."Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images

Some basic hiring requirements include being at least 18 years old, having a "pleasant personality," being fluent in English, and meeting certain height requirements — 5'2" for women and 5'4" for men.

Those that get through the hiring phase will start their career at a giant training facility in Singapore, which features several aircraft cabin mock-ups, as well as rafts, slides, and other safety equipment.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Those that get through the hiring phase will start their career at a giant training facility in Singapore, which features several aircraft cabin mock-ups, as well as rafts, slides, and other safety equipment.

Safety emergency procedures, medical practices, customer service, etiquette, and grooming will be taught. First aid can include things like CRP or delivering a baby.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Current flight attendants will also visit this facility each year for recurrent training — a requirement to stay legal to fly, as well as maintain their skill and procedural knowledge.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Current flight attendants will also visit this facility each year for recurrent training — a requirement to stay legal to fly, as well as maintain their skill and procedural knowledge.

The first room we visited had the giant evacuation slides, which deploy from the doors during an emergency. These could be used during things like a fire in the cabin or after a crash landing.

Taylor Rains/Insider

The first room we visited had the giant evacuation slides, which deploy from the doors during an emergency. These could be used during things like a fire in the cabin or after a crash landing.

There were two slides on the model aircraft — the front replicating a Boeing 777 and the rear one replicating the Airbus A380.

The A380 cabin is wider than the 777.Taylor Rains/Insider

Inside are cabins with seats and equipment to better simulate a full-scale evacuation, including things like smoke and alarms.

Taylor Rains/Insider

A class of trainees demonstrated how to properly go down the slide, which required them to keep their arms out, their legs straight, and sit up.

The class was mostly made up of new hires, but also had three current flight attendants going through their yearly training.Taylor Rains/Insider

Because they are an example for passengers, they were told not to hesitate and to be confident.

Flight attendants will be in uniform during an evacuation — the blue jumpsuits are used for slide training.Taylor Rains/Insider

One trainer stood at the end of the slide and there was a pad on the floor to ensure no one got hurt. There are also side rails for safety — but they are absent from real emergency slides.

Taylor Rains/Insider

One trainer stood at the end of the slide and there was a pad on the floor to ensure no one got hurt. There are also side rails for safety — but they are absent from real emergency slides.

I enjoyed watching the motion of the exercise. It was quick, and the trainer was voicing critiques after each jump — though some she said performed flawlessly.

Everyone appeared to respond well to the trainer's critiques.Taylor Rains/Insider

I also noticed a near-even split between male and female trainees in the class, and Singapore told Insider that about 40% of its flight attendants are men.

Female cabin crews have been famously called "The Singapore Girl" since 1972.Taylor Rains/Insider

In addition to physically going down the slide, aspiring crew members also need to learn how to operate the door itself.

A cabin mock-up with emergency doors.Taylor Rains/Insider

Singapore's manager of facilities and training administration, Celine Kwah, showed Insider how the procedure works on a Boeing 787 door trainer, which could simulate armed, disarmed, opened, and closed.

A computer next to the door operates the simulation.Taylor Rains/Insider

Singapore's manager of facilities and training administration, Celine Kwah, showed Insider how the procedure works on a Boeing 787 door trainer, which could simulate armed, disarmed, opened, and closed.

Trainees would practice arming the door and deploying the slide, which is simulated on a screen once the door opens — a real slide won't inflate.

Taylor Rains/Insider

The door trainer mock-up also has a lavatory installed to train when someone smokes in the bathroom.

Taylor Rains/Insider

There were a few other aircraft models in the room, including a Boeing 737, which is used for flight attendants joining Singapore's low-cost subsidiary Scoot.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Like the Boeing 787 and A380 combo, the narrowbody mock-up has seats with fake screens and can be used for practicing emergency calls, leading passengers out, and communication.

The list is not exhaustive as a number of inflight procedures can be practiced in this mock-up.Taylor Rains/Insider

Like the Boeing 787 and A380 combo, the narrowbody mock-up has seats with fake screens and can be used for practicing emergency calls, leading passengers out, and communication.

According to Kwah, flight attendants are instructed to yell instructions like "leave your bags" and "high heels off" during evacuations.

Taylor Rains/Insider

There are even mock-ups for evacuating the crew rest areas, which are secret aircraft rooms with bunk beds and private space for flight attendants.

Taylor Rains/Insider

These are typically accessed by stairs or a hatch and are situated above the passenger cabin.

An ITA Airways Airbus A350 crew rest are with three bunks.Taylor Rains/Insider

Rafts are another important piece of survival equipment, which are used for water landings, and can attach to the plane. Passengers can jump into yellow life rafts from the wing…

Taylor Rains/Insider

Rafts are another important piece of survival equipment, which are used for water landings, and can attach to the plane. Passengers can jump into yellow life rafts from the wing…

…or float on a door raft, like the gray ones used on the Boeing 777.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Kwah told Insider the rafts come with an orange canopy to protect from rain and wind, and the bright color makes it easier for rescuers to spot.

Taylor Rains/Insider

The first room was just one part of the training facility. Down the hall was also a giant swimming pool, which is about 10 feet at its deepest point. And, it can even simulate rough waves.

Taylor Rains/Insider

The first room was just one part of the training facility. Down the hall was also a giant swimming pool, which is about 10 feet at its deepest point. And, it can even simulate rough waves.

A mock aircraft is attached to the pool, and trainees are required to jump off the ledge — a five-foot drop — and swim to the other side. This demonstrates their swimming skills and ability to overcome heights.

In other training exercises, the trainees will have to show they can lift themselves into the raft from the water or carry a life-sized dummy.Taylor Rains/Insider

A mock aircraft is attached to the pool, and trainees are required to jump off the ledge — a five-foot drop — and swim to the other side. This demonstrates their swimming skills and ability to overcome heights.

During the drill, all trainees must wear their full uniform and life vest. While the women's long dresses — known as a sarong kebaya — look difficult to swim in, they are designed to fold up into a skirt to help mobility.

I watched the swimming drill but was not allowed to take photos of this group of trainees.Taylor Rains/Insider

During the drill, all trainees must wear their full uniform and life vest. While the women's long dresses — known as a sarong kebaya — look difficult to swim in, they are designed to fold up into a skirt to help mobility.

Kwah said some people are scared to jump at first, but nearly everyone completes the exercise, saying "resilience and tenacity" are the attributes of a good cabin crew. Failure to successfully finish the swim could disqualify the trainee.

The pool with the waves on.Taylor Rains/Insider

Kwah said some people are scared to jump at first, but nearly everyone completes the exercise, saying "resilience and tenacity" are the attributes of a good cabin crew. Failure to successfully finish the swim could disqualify the trainee.

Former Singapore crew member Wong Sheau Qian told Insider in September 2022 that she considered quitting the program because of how physically demanding it is, but said she "persevered and pulled through" as it did get easier.

Trainees doing stretches before the slide drill.Taylor Rains/Insider

Former Singapore crew member Wong Sheau Qian told Insider in September 2022 that she considered quitting the program because of how physically demanding it is, but said she "persevered and pulled through" as it did get easier.

Swimming is just one part of water evacuations, though. Trainees also have to know what to do when still inside the aircraft, like door handling and commands.

Taylor Rains/Insider

The space can also be used to simulate other emergency procedures though, like depressurization, medical issues, smoke, and fires.

The windows could simulate a flight, an airport, or parked at a gate, among other scenarios.Taylor Rains/Insider

In fact, the plane has five different types of doors to train on — including the Boeing 787, the Boeing 777, the Boeing 737, the A350, and the A380.

Taylor Rains/Insider

There were also human-sized dummies so trainees can experience carrying and swimming with the weight of an adult person — especially important for when someone is incapacitated.

Taylor Rains/Insider

There were also human-sized dummies so trainees can experience carrying and swimming with the weight of an adult person — especially important for when someone is incapacitated.

While there is an immense amount of safety-oriented training, Singapore also maintains a high standard of elegance, customer service, and grooming — including hair, nail, and makeup requirements.

Singapore Airlines flight attendants.ROSLAN RAHMAN / Contributor / Getty Images

While there is an immense amount of safety-oriented training, Singapore also maintains a high standard of elegance, customer service, and grooming — including hair, nail, and makeup requirements.

There are several rooms dedicated just to customer service and include mock-ups of each aircraft cabin in the company's fleet, including regular economy, premium economy, business class, and first class.

A mock-up of the A380 business class seatTaylor Rains/Insider

There are several rooms dedicated just to customer service and include mock-ups of each aircraft cabin in the company's fleet, including regular economy, premium economy, business class, and first class.

Trainees will learn things like how each seat works, how to properly plate meals, where the salt and pepper are supposed to be placed on the tray, and how to present a wine bottle.

Other rooms with mirrors are used to train how to walk and carry trays, and there are also regular classrooms for written tests and presentations.Taylor Rains/Insider

Trainees will learn things like how each seat works, how to properly plate meals, where the salt and pepper are supposed to be placed on the tray, and how to present a wine bottle.

They'll also practice making announcements and communicating with passengers. To simulate a real flight, trainees will take turns role-playing as cabin crew and customers.

Trainee performance is assessed via practical exams.Taylor Rains/Insider

They'll also practice making announcements and communicating with passengers. To simulate a real flight, trainees will take turns role-playing as cabin crew and customers.

Courses specifically on de-escalation and dealing with unruly travelers occur every two years, according to Kwah.

Singapore Airlines A380 premium economy.Taylor Rains/Insider

As flight attendants get more experienced, they will have additional training for business and first class as they require specific skills, like putting the suite's double bed together.

First-class seating on a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380, which can be combined with the neighboring suite to create a huge room with a double bed and two loungers.ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images.

As flight attendants get more experienced, they will have additional training for business and first class as they require specific skills, like putting the suite's double bed together.

Moreover, the uniforms change color as they climb into leadership roles. Blue dresses — or ties for men — are regular flight attendants. The next level up is green for leading flight attendants, then red for chiefs, and purple for inflight managers.

Two Singapore flight attendants walking — one in green and one in blue.Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images

Moreover, the uniforms change color as they climb into leadership roles. Blue dresses — or ties for men — are regular flight attendants. The next level up is green for leading flight attendants, then red for chiefs, and purple for inflight managers.

Those in red and green colored uniforms are the most experienced, and the ones you'll see in premium cabins — but all cabins have the same grooming standards, according to a SIA spokesperson.

A Singapore flight attendant in a green uniform serving Insider's senior video producer Abby Narishkin on a recent A380 flight from Frankfurt to New York-JFK in first class.Insider

Those in red and green colored uniforms are the most experienced, and the ones you'll see in premium cabins — but all cabins have the same grooming standards, according to a SIA spokesperson.

Another former Singapore flight attendant — who asked not to be named — told Insider in September 2022 that the customer service trainers were pretty strict.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Another former Singapore flight attendant — who asked not to be named — told Insider in September 2022 that the customer service trainers were pretty strict.

"We had to greet every single instructor like we were students, and would be reprimanded whenever we said 'yeah' instead of 'yes,'" the 30-year-old now freelance journalist said.

The trainees sometimes used old cabin mock-ups that had out-of-date seats.Taylor Rains/Insider

"We had to greet every single instructor like we were students, and would be reprimanded whenever we said 'yeah' instead of 'yes,'" the 30-year-old now freelance journalist said.

Considering Singapore's repuation, it's no shock it puts an emphasis on etiquette. I could easily see the focus in the training, and how seriously the trainers took customer service during my tour.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Considering Singapore's repuation, it's no shock it puts an emphasis on etiquette. I could easily see the focus in the training, and how seriously the trainers took customer service during my tour.

It was also very physically demanding, from the swim and slide tests to carrying life-sized dummies out of a smoke-filled aircraft.

Taylor Rains/Insider

But the beauty rules are intense. According to a 2019 documentary by Channel 4, trainees are examined by a "grooming consultant" who teaches certain skills to make their face "look more attractive."

"Singapore Girls" in an old cabin business class product. Singapore has a grooming room at the training center — complete with vanities and mirrors — where future crew members learn how to wear eyeliner and do their hair.Eric Piermont/AFP via Getty Images

But the beauty rules are intense. According to a 2019 documentary by Channel 4, trainees are examined by a "grooming consultant" who teaches certain skills to make their face "look more attractive."

Despite the rigors and demands, the desire to be a Singapore flight attendant appears to be higher than ever.

Taylor Rains/Insider

According to the airline, it received "several thousand" cabin crew applications in the first half of 2022 — three to four times more than pre-pandemic: "SIA will continue to work hard to retain our talented people," a spokesperson told Insider.

Singapore Airlines Boeing 787-10.NurPhoto/Getty Images

According to the airline, it received "several thousand" cabin crew applications in the first half of 2022 — three to four times more than pre-pandemic: "SIA will continue to work hard to retain our talented people," a spokesperson told Insider.

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I toured Singapore's flight attendant training facility and I was surprised to see how physically demanding the 4-month program can be

Airline flight attendants are not just customer service agents.

Yes, interacting with passengers and serving drinks is part of the job, but crew members must also go through weeks-long training to learn things like emergency evacuations and first aid.

Aviation regulators determine how many flight attendants must be present for a flight to take off. In the US, there is one flight attendant for every 50 passengers…

…meaning a 175-seater Boeing 737 must have a minimum of four. According to ICAO, the staffing requirement ensures flight attendants can "effectively conduct a timely evacuation and increase the survivability of passengers during an accident."

Insider went behind the scenes at Singapore Airlines' flight attendant training center to learn about the program and expectations — take a look.

Singapore Airlines is regularly rated one of the best in the world and its inflight crew was named "world's best cabin staff" in 2022 by ranking website Skytrax.

And, it's no surprise after seeing the drills and courses trainees must go through before they can work a real flight. According to Singapore, the entire process takes four months — the longest worldwide.

Some basic hiring requirements include being at least 18 years old, having a "pleasant personality," being fluent in English, and meeting certain height requirements — 5'2" for women and 5'4" for men.

Those that get through the hiring phase will start their career at a giant training facility in Singapore, which features several aircraft cabin mock-ups, as well as rafts, slides, and other safety equipment.

Safety emergency procedures, medical practices, customer service, etiquette, and grooming will be taught. First aid can include things like CRP or delivering a baby.

Current flight attendants will also visit this facility each year for recurrent training — a requirement to stay legal to fly, as well as maintain their skill and procedural knowledge.

The first room we visited had the giant evacuation slides, which deploy from the doors during an emergency. These could be used during things like a fire in the cabin or after a crash landing.

There were two slides on the model aircraft — the front replicating a Boeing 777 and the rear one replicating the Airbus A380.

Inside are cabins with seats and equipment to better simulate a full-scale evacuation, including things like smoke and alarms.

A class of trainees demonstrated how to properly go down the slide, which required them to keep their arms out, their legs straight, and sit up.

Because they are an example for passengers, they were told not to hesitate and to be confident.

One trainer stood at the end of the slide and there was a pad on the floor to ensure no one got hurt. There are also side rails for safety — but they are absent from real emergency slides.

I enjoyed watching the motion of the exercise. It was quick, and the trainer was voicing critiques after each jump — though some she said performed flawlessly.

I also noticed a near-even split between male and female trainees in the class, and Singapore told Insider that about 40% of its flight attendants are men.

In addition to physically going down the slide, aspiring crew members also need to learn how to operate the door itself.

Singapore's manager of facilities and training administration, Celine Kwah, showed Insider how the procedure works on a Boeing 787 door trainer, which could simulate armed, disarmed, opened, and closed.

Trainees would practice arming the door and deploying the slide, which is simulated on a screen once the door opens — a real slide won't inflate.

The door trainer mock-up also has a lavatory installed to train when someone smokes in the bathroom.

There were a few other aircraft models in the room, including a Boeing 737, which is used for flight attendants joining Singapore's low-cost subsidiary Scoot.

Like the Boeing 787 and A380 combo, the narrowbody mock-up has seats with fake screens and can be used for practicing emergency calls, leading passengers out, and communication.

According to Kwah, flight attendants are instructed to yell instructions like "leave your bags" and "high heels off" during evacuations.

There are even mock-ups for evacuating the crew rest areas, which are secret aircraft rooms with bunk beds and private space for flight attendants.

These are typically accessed by stairs or a hatch and are situated above the passenger cabin.

Rafts are another important piece of survival equipment, which are used for water landings, and can attach to the plane. Passengers can jump into yellow life rafts from the wing…

…or float on a door raft, like the gray ones used on the Boeing 777.

Kwah told Insider the rafts come with an orange canopy to protect from rain and wind, and the bright color makes it easier for rescuers to spot.

The first room was just one part of the training facility. Down the hall was also a giant swimming pool, which is about 10 feet at its deepest point. And, it can even simulate rough waves.

A mock aircraft is attached to the pool, and trainees are required to jump off the ledge — a five-foot drop — and swim to the other side. This demonstrates their swimming skills and ability to overcome heights.

During the drill, all trainees must wear their full uniform and life vest. While the women's long dresses — known as a sarong kebaya — look difficult to swim in, they are designed to fold up into a skirt to help mobility.

Kwah said some people are scared to jump at first, but nearly everyone completes the exercise, saying "resilience and tenacity" are the attributes of a good cabin crew. Failure to successfully finish the swim could disqualify the trainee.

Former Singapore crew member Wong Sheau Qian told Insider in September 2022 that she considered quitting the program because of how physically demanding it is, but said she "persevered and pulled through" as it did get easier.

Swimming is just one part of water evacuations, though. Trainees also have to know what to do when still inside the aircraft, like door handling and commands.

The space can also be used to simulate other emergency procedures though, like depressurization, medical issues, smoke, and fires.

In fact, the plane has five different types of doors to train on — including the Boeing 787, the Boeing 777, the Boeing 737, the A350, and the A380.

There were also human-sized dummies so trainees can experience carrying and swimming with the weight of an adult person — especially important for when someone is incapacitated.

While there is an immense amount of safety-oriented training, Singapore also maintains a high standard of elegance, customer service, and grooming — including hair, nail, and makeup requirements.

There are several rooms dedicated just to customer service and include mock-ups of each aircraft cabin in the company's fleet, including regular economy, premium economy, business class, and first class.

Trainees will learn things like how each seat works, how to properly plate meals, where the salt and pepper are supposed to be placed on the tray, and how to present a wine bottle.

They'll also practice making announcements and communicating with passengers. To simulate a real flight, trainees will take turns role-playing as cabin crew and customers.

Courses specifically on de-escalation and dealing with unruly travelers occur every two years, according to Kwah.

As flight attendants get more experienced, they will have additional training for business and first class as they require specific skills, like putting the suite's double bed together.

Moreover, the uniforms change color as they climb into leadership roles. Blue dresses — or ties for men — are regular flight attendants. The next level up is green for leading flight attendants, then red for chiefs, and purple for inflight managers.

Those in red and green colored uniforms are the most experienced, and the ones you'll see in premium cabins — but all cabins have the same grooming standards, according to a SIA spokesperson.

Another former Singapore flight attendant — who asked not to be named — told Insider in September 2022 that the customer service trainers were pretty strict.

"We had to greet every single instructor like we were students, and would be reprimanded whenever we said 'yeah' instead of 'yes,'" the 30-year-old now freelance journalist said.

Considering Singapore's repuation, it's no shock it puts an emphasis on etiquette. I could easily see the focus in the training, and how seriously the trainers took customer service during my tour.

It was also very physically demanding, from the swim and slide tests to carrying life-sized dummies out of a smoke-filled aircraft.

But the beauty rules are intense. According to a 2019 documentary by Channel 4, trainees are examined by a "grooming consultant" who teaches certain skills to make their face "look more attractive."

Despite the rigors and demands, the desire to be a Singapore flight attendant appears to be higher than ever.

According to the airline, it received "several thousand" cabin crew applications in the first half of 2022 — three to four times more than pre-pandemic: "SIA will continue to work hard to retain our talented people," a spokesperson told Insider.