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How many Flight Attendants are on a Plane?

How many Flight Attendants are on a Plane?

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It is typically one flight attendant for every fifty passengers, but this varies depending on the size of the plane and the airline. The cabin crew is responsible for ensuring the safety of the passengers and performing various tasks to keep the flight running smoothly.

For example, on a trip from JFK to LAX that is approximately a 6-hour, 2,475-mile flight, JetBlue uses an Airbus A321, which seats anywhere from 170 to 220 passengers.

How many flight attendants are required by law?

At minimum, the FAA requires a minimum of two flight attendants for the first 100 passengers, plus an additional flight attendant for each unit (or part of a unit) of 50 passenger seats above the initial 100. In short, this means a total of 4 flight attendants would be needed.

Here’s the technical definition as outlined in the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation Code of Federal Regulations:

§ 121.391 - Flight Attendants.

(a) Except as specified in § 121.393 and § 121.394, each certificate holder must provide at least the following flight attendants on board each passenger-carrying airplane when passengers are on board:

(1) For airplanes having a maximum payload capacity of more than 7,500 pounds and having a seating capacity of more than 9 but less than 51 passengers - one flight attendant.

(2) For airplanes having a maximum payload capacity of 7,500 pounds or less and having a seating capacity of more than 19 but less than 51 passengers - one flight attendant.

(3) For airplanes having a seating capacity of more than 50 but less than 101 passengers - two flight attendants.

(4) For airplanes having a seating capacity of more than 100 passengers - two flight attendants plus one additional flight attendant for each unit (or part of a unit) of 50 passenger seats above a seating capacity of 100 passengers.

This divides the requirements up into two categories and then the number of flight attendants is based on the number of passenger seats.

Category 1 includes planes with a max payload capacity at or below 7,500lbs (~3,402kg).

Category 2 includes planes with a max payload capacity above 7,500 lbs.

It’s easiest to look at a chart to understand how this works:

Airplane Maximum Payload Capacity	Seating Capacity	Minimum Required Number of Flight Attendants
At or Below 7,500 lb (~3,402kg)	19 or less	0 Flight Attendants*
At or Below 7,500 lb (~3,402kg)	20 to 50	1 Flight Attendant
Greater than 7,500 lbs (~3,402kg)	Below 9	0 Flight Attendants*
Greater than 7,500 lbs (~3,402kg)	10 to 50	1 Flight Attendant
Any Payload Capacity	51 to 100	2 Flight Attendants
Any Payload Capacity	101 to 151	3 Flight Attendants
Any Payload Capacity	152 to 202	4 Flight Attendants
Any Payload Capacity	203 to 253	5 Flight Attendants
Any Payload Capacity	254 to 304	6 Flight Attendants
Any Payload Capacity	305 to 355	7 Flight Attendants
Any Payload Capacity	356 to 406	8 Flight Attendants
Any Payload Capacity	407 to 457	9 Flight Attendants
Any Payload Capacity	458 to 508	10 Flight Attendants

*There is not a specification for these two values according to the Code of Federal Regulations. However, any major airline will have at least 1 flight attendant for every flight.

Why do airlines sometimes have more than the required minimum number of flight attendants?

Airlines want to keep their customers and workers safe and happy. Including additional attendants on a flight helps with several objectives:

To help passengers if they require assistance.
To provide an extra set of eyes and ears in the event of an emergency.
To help keep customer service at a maximum level, such as providing refreshments or helping with seating arrangements.

Flight attendants help passengers in need

Not everyone on the plane has TSA Pre-check or is a frequent flier with an airline. For many people that may be on a flight, it will be their first time flying. Flight attendants are there to:

help passengers find their seats,
get their seatbelt properly secured,
help passengers get their luggage into the overhead bin,
show passengers how to use the emergency safety equipment if needed

These are all tasks that must be done efficiently so the flight can take off on time. It’s difficult to get this done in a tight space, especially on a full flight. More attendants give the plane more leeway to deal with these tasks and ensure the safety of all passengers.

Flight attendants help in case of an emergency

The flight crew is composed of both the flight attendants and pilots. It is important for airlines to have enough staff in case of an emergency, such as an illness or accident, on board the plane. Flight attendants can provide medical assistance, administer first aid, and help keep passengers calm in a scary situation.

Moreover, the cabin crew is an extra set of eyes and ears on board the plane. They can listen for any suspicious noises or activities coming from the cabin and report them to the pilots immediately.

More flight attendants can offer better service

While serving food and drink is not the primary job of a flight attendant, it is something they do. It is much easier for the airline to provide better customer service when there are more attendants on board. This means that passengers could receive their food and drinks faster, and any requests for assistance can be handled quickly.

For example, if a passenger has a question about how to operate their seat or how to access in-flight entertainment, the attendants can answer it quickly and efficiently.

International Flight Attendant Regulations

The International Civil Aviation Organization does not specify a specific number of flight attendants or cabin crew required per flight or per size of flight. However, they do specify in Annex 6 - Operation of Aircraft, Part I,

“Aeroplanes requires that an operator establish the minimum number of cabin crew required for each aircraft type in its fleet. The goal of this requirement is to allow for a safe and expeditious evacuation of the aircraft, and to enable cabin crew to carry out the necessary functions to be performed in an emergency or a situation requiring emergency evacuation. ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) do not provide a numeric value (e.g. exact number of cabin crew) needed for the operator to comply with Annex 6 requirements. The minimum number of cabin crew members required for each aircraft type in an operator’s fleet must be approved by the State of the Operator. The ratio of cabin crew members to floor-level exits should also be considered when establishing minimum crew.”