How to Improve Your Crew Communication on Flights

Crew members provide essential duties during flights. Members help passengers remain calm and happy, and they help the pilots keep flights orderly.

Most flights take off and arrive at their destinations without any issues. In addition, most flights do not require assistance from the Air Marshall. 

Instead, most flights require crew members to provide assistance to passengers in accordance with their job descriptions. Thus, communication is an essential skill that flight professionals must possess. 

The number of crew members per flight depends on the flight’s distance. Short flights generally carry four professionals, while long flights have up to 12 members.

Therefore, the flight’s distance determines how many members must communicate with each other. The more members, the more complicated communication can become. 

Thus, the chief member must establish protocols and assign explicit roles to avoid confusion or communication breakdowns.

This article concisely explores a few ways on how to improve your crew communication on flights.

Provide Excellent Accommodations

Flight crew members work odd hours, and long-distance trips can easily catch up to them. Performance can easily suffer when professionals do not rest or sleep enough. 

Therefore, providing excellent accommodations in-between assignments is essential. 

The best accommodations depend on the work assignments. Some individuals work at hubs far away from their homes. Therefore, the members work on their assignments and return home between shifts.

Then, planners must take into account the options that the hubs provide. For example, finding home-like accommodations in most cities is difficult and not cost-effective. 

Hotels might suffice in some areas, while hot beds work for others. Whatever the final accommodation options become, ensure that crews can fully rest.

Professionals who need flight crew housing advice can check out Hotel Engine.

Hire Crew Members Who Have Excellent Communication Abilities

The best way to assemble successful teams is to hire professionals with the necessary skills.

For example, successful flight crew members exemplify:

• Attentiveness
• Physical stamina
• Sound decision-making skills
• Customer service skills
• Excellent communication abilities

Training can help members improve in the areas above, but finding the ones who have them already makes training easier. Plus, professionals can become elite when they start from above-average levels.

Establish Protocols from the Jump

Next, establish protocols so that crew members hit the ground running from the jump.

Passengers expect flight crews to keep things under control. Moreover, maintaining order ensures that flights remain on schedule—otherwise, delays cause adverse domino effects.

Therefore, ensure that all members stay on the same page by introducing them to communication protocols. 

National airlines provide handbooks that cover expectations and protocols. In some cases, it’s also necessary to cover how individual crews handle communication and duties. 

Assign Explicit Roles

Emergencies can occur in the sky, and it takes time to determine the severity of crises. During the investigation process, members must know what to do without question and carry out the duties to the T.

Otherwise, the situation can cause panic among passengers when it’s unnecessary.

Assigning explicit roles ensures that no confusion takes place during emergencies. Crew members communicate accurate information to the appropriate team member, and nothing falls through the cracks.

Develop Hierarchies

It might sound odd to state that successful communication among four to 12 professionals requires effort and that developing hierarchies could help it improve. However, flying in the sky is not the ideal time for it to break down or fail.

In emergencies, members must know who receives what information and when.

The chief member will receive instructions from the pilots who communicate with professionals in the terminal towers. Then, flight members carry out the instructions to maintain order onboard.

Hold Crew Meetings

Some adults enjoy hanging out with their work colleagues. Others do not, especially if they have several responsibilities outside of work, such as kids or loved ones who depend on them.

Nonetheless, find time to hold crew meetings and use them as opportunities to create team cohesion. 

Chief members should figure out how to make the meetings enticing to attend and incorporate essential information about communication expectations.

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Conclusion

Passengers might not realize the cohesiveness required to make the flight feel like a seamless experience. However, crew members understand the importance of communication among themselves. Improve it by holding crew meetings, assigning explicit roles, and establishing protocols from the jump.