FAA Supplemement to SAFO 08010 Use Of Non-safety Personnel Onboard An Aircraft During Operations


U.S. air carriers periodically use persons in the cabins of its aircraft for the purpose of conducting certain passenger service activities such as serving beverages, conducting customer relations, or acting as translators. These persons are not assigned to flights to perform safety duties, and can be considered ‘non-safety personnel.’


A. These persons are not acting in the capacity of a flight attendant, nor are they, in general, trained or qualified in duties relating to cabin safety.


B. The regulations do not prohibit the use of non-safety personnel onboard an aircraft during operations by a part 121 or part 135 air carrier. However, their presence could conceivably interfere with flight attendants or other crewmembers if they were not properly instructed. Additionally, passengers could mistakenly consider these persons as a crewmember if not advised otherwise. The following guidance should be considered when an air carrier uses non-safety personnel onboard an aircraft during operations conducted under their air carrier certificate:


(1) Status of Non-Safety Personnel. Air carriers may use these individuals to perform activities limited to passenger service. They are a different type of cabin personnel and are not persons trained as flight attendants or other crewmembers responsible for cabin safety.


(2) Applicable Regulations. Non-safety personnel onboard an aircraft are subject to the same regulatory requirements as passengers. For example, they must receive a pre- takeoff briefing, they must be seated in a passenger seat for movement on the surface, takeoff and landing, and they must stow their carry-on baggage. They must also comply with the seat belt requirements and crewmember instructions. They may not conduct any activities during movement on the surface. The operator may determine that these individuals are crewmembers. If so, the crewmember’s duties and responsibilities must be included in the air carrier’s general operations manual.


(3) Instruction. These individuals should receive enough instruction so that they know what activities they may perform and equipment they may or may not operate so as not to interfere with flight attendants or other crewmembers. If they operate cabin safety equipment, they must carry applicable parts of the operations manual, which should provide enough information to ensure that they understand their duties and procedures, and to ensure that they do not interfere with other crewmember’s duties and procedures.


(4) Assignment of Activities. The activities assigned to these individuals should be clearly distinguishable to passengers from the duties assigned to other crewmembers. They should not be permitted to operate any equipment or systems for which specific training is required by 14 Code of Federal Regulations (e.g., electrical galley equipment, heating and ventilation controls for the cabin, and the public address system, except to perform language translator duties for passenger briefings). Additionally, these persons should not be permitted to conduct any portion of a required safety briefing or demonstration (e.g. use of seat belts, location of the emergency, exits, use of oxygen, etc.).


(5) Identification of Non-Safety Personnel. Operators should employ methods to ensure that passengers do not mistake non-safety personnel as flight attendants or other crewmembers and to identify crewmembers that are responsible for safety-related tasks. Operators should ensure that passengers are aware that non-safety personnel are not trained or qualified to act in a safety-related capacity.


Aviation Basics 20


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