CAREERS IN AVIATION

• Flying Air Line Operations/Commercial Pilots
• Flight Attendants : Airhostess/Stewards

“Job prospects soar in aviation Industry”
It is glamorous, it is alluring, and it is fantastic. It’s the one hi3 that takes you to the skies, literally and otherwise too. It makes you feel on the top on the world. And why not with ‘Airlines’ you are on top of the world. Flying by air is an amazing experience.
Liberalization of the India Aviation industry, the subsequent expansion of the domestic fleet and the energy of new players seems to have propelled a range of hi3 opportunities for the youth in the aviation sector. In today’s fast developing technological world with growing industrialization, aviation holds a prominent place both as an industrial sector and as a hi3 stream for young and aspirants looking forward to a bright future.
The life may sound glamorous, but it is equal amounts of hard work and dedication too. Besides getting a solid grounding and good foundation, you also need to have a set of soft skills. You need to be approachable, open to learning and you must be willing to put on a sunny exterior every time you are at work. The job is very well paying and today with a number of private airlines as well, the opportunities are tremendous.
Aviation refers to all activities involving the operation of aircrafts. This includes Flying Operations. Aircrew(such as Air Hostesses/Stewards). Aircraft maintenance, Air Traffic Management, Technical aspects of Flight, Aviation Safety, Regulatory Policies and Ground duties at the airport. All aviation courses in India are supposed to comply with the rules laid down by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGC).

Nature of work
Two important components of the aviation industry are Civil or Commercial Aviation, and the Military Aviation. The Ministry of Civil Aviation performs the task of formulating national policies and programmes for development and regulation of civil aviation.
The Military Aviation is comprised of the Indian Air Force and the aviation wings of the Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, the Paramilitary forces (e.g. Border Security Force) and the Indian Coast Guard.
To read more about Military Aviation, please refer to Careers in Defence forces There are 3 key departments in the commercial aviation departments, the Operational department which is concerned with all aspects of flying, the engineering department which is concerned with maintenance and technical aspects of the aircraft, and the commercial which deals with functions like providing attractive facilities for the comfort of passengers, ticketing, fixing up fare, catering, etc. Depending on the department that one is working in, the nature of work and responsibilities handled vary a lot. Some of the job profiles are given below.

Personal Attributes
Depending on the area of work, personal attributes and skills required differ. For instance, air hostesses and flight stewards need to have a hospitable and pleasant personality. Technical staff and for almost all jobs in the aviation sector, one must be able to work at different times of the day. One may have to work night shifts and sometimes may have to spend more than 24 hours without sleeping. Pilots, cabin crew and air traffic controllers also need to have a high level of concentration and focus as there is a lot of minute observation and immediate response required in such technical posts. These are also positions of great responsibility as the lives of the passengers depend on the proper functioning of the air plane which is ensured by the minute and thorough work of those involved in such work.

Employment Opportunities
With the liberalization and privatization of airports, there is an unprecedented demand for manpower professional trained in aviation. Some of the key players in the field of commercial aviation in India include Sahara India, Indian Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines, Go Airways, Indigo Airlines SRC Aviation, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Bird Group, Trans Asian Aviation, Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Limited etc. With the extremely lucrative nature of these jobs, the prospects for a hi3 in the aviation industry are extremely bright.

Major Entrance Exam
Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi
Selection Procedure : A Written Entrance Examination at various centres all India , then a Pilot Aptitude Test, followed by the final selection by an interview board comprising of representatives from Aviation industry like NACIL,DGCA,Psychologists and IGRUA examiners.
Written Examination

List of some Institutions

One of the important aspects of travel by air is concerned with making the journey of the passenger comfortable and safe. Air hostess and Flight stewards play a very important role in ensuring this crucial aspect. They make a big difference in the passenger’s comfort level during the flight.
This is a very promising hi3 for many young girls and boys and offers a thrilling and exciting opportunity to travel in high skies to reach exotic places round the world, stay in best hotels and mix with the elite in society and be paid a very attractive pay package.
Liberalization of air policies has increased the private operation of air services and this has created immense job opportunities in this field. Even though this hi3 is an exciting experience, it is not as easy as it seems. This is a highly demanding job which requires a lot of patience and involves odd duty hours.

Nature of Work
Their prime responsibilities involve welcoming passengers & take care of their comforts, being responsible for the safety and care of the passengers, demonstrating emergency safety procedures, dealing with security and emergency situations, serving meals and drinks.
Taking special care of sick travelers, VIPs, babies or children or elderly people who are traveling alone are also part of the work of the flight attendants.

Personal Attributes
The candidate needs to be warm, competent and proficient having excellent communication skills. Common sense, sense of responsibility, initiative, friendly, outgoing personality,politeness, physical stamina and the capacity to work for long hours on one’s feet, ability to react quickly in times of emergency and presence of mind, and having a well-modulated pleasant voice are some of the desired qualities.
Eligibility :Age-18 and below 25 year for femals and below 26 for males.( may differ with different airlines, Height-Females-Min 5.2, Males-Min 5.7, Weight-In proportion to height. They must have normal vision, Fluency in Hindi and English, desirable to speak a third language and foreign language. They should be physically fit with a good level of stamina.
Qualification – Higher Secondary Certificate with training. Marital Status Unmaried

Employment Opportunities
With privatization and foreign collaboration increasing every day, the future is bright for an flight attendants. They can find employment with private owned domestic and international airlines. An Air Hostess has every chance to be promoted to the post of Senior Flight Attendant and then Head Flight Attendant. Carrer as an Air Hostess would last for about eight to ten years, after that she could move on to the ground duties including the job of a Ground Hostess, Check Hostesss, training of air hostess or work in the management level. Apart from excellent perks and remuneration, it is full of wonderful trips to exciting destinations.

How to Enter
Various diploma and certificate courses are offered after 10+2 that prepares the students for a hi3 in this field. A number of institutes impart focused training for a hi3 as air hostess/flight steward. There are a number of airlines that directly recruit graduate students who fulfill their eligibility criteria irrespective of the courses they have done. Selected candidates are screened, have to pass a written exam generally comprising of general knowledge, mental ability and verbal ability usually of objective type of questions. Qualified students then appear for group discussion a personal interview after which finalists are put on training for a few months regarding crucial aspects of the job.
Candidates who wish to apply for Under graduate course in Aviation should have passed 10+2 or equivalent examination with any stream.