Cabin crew training academies turn to imparting social skills

Mumbai: Chastened by the 2008-09 economic slowdown, many of India’s cabin crew academies have diversified from instructing women aspiring to become flight attendants to training them in customer care services, airport duties and even teaching general social skills such as attending kitty parties.
Cabin crew academies mushroomed on the back of a boom in the aviation sector in 2004-07, when domestic carriers decided to buy nearly 500 aircraft over a five-year period. Some of these institutes even planned initial public offerings (IPOs) to raise money for expansion.
But the subsequent slowdown hit the industry hard. “Many institutes were wiped out or shifted their focus to customer care services from cabin crew training. The business during 2007-2009 was down by 50-60%,” said K.S. Kohli, chairman, Frankfinn Institute of Airhostess Training, based in Delhi.
“Though we are not diluting our focus on air hostess training, we are diversifying into soft skills training for first impression for people of all walks of life.”
Frankfinn has developed a concept it calls “first impression studio”, under which it offers courses for cracking interviews and trains housewives in attending kitty parties.
“We have developed a small course for foreigners visiting India under ‘Hello India’ brand, while there is ‘Take Off’ course for Indians visiting abroad. There are special soft skill training courses for entrepreneurs and corporate executives,” Kohli said.
Mumbai-based Avalon Academy, run by Aptech Ltd, has started offering courses in personality development, aircraft maintenance engineering, airport management, customer care and ground handling, says its website.
But not all academies have been able to make the turn.
Kingfisher Airlines Ltd, country’s second largest airline by passengers carried, started the Kingfisher Training Academy in Mumbai in April 2007. Though the academy remains open, it did not expand the way it had been envisaged.
AHA Aviation and Hospitality Academy Pvt. Ltd of Delhi was earlier exploring plans for an IPO; the slowdown forced it to cease operations and it is now struggling to get back into business. A former executive said, on condition of anonymity, that the company is facing some functional issues, without elaborating.
26/12/10 P.R. Sanjai/Live Mint