In-flight service at Air Astra – the standard par excellence!

Photo: Courtesy

When airline passengers think of flight attendants and the service they are entrusted with to provide,  most people immediately think of how glamorous they look and the courtesy with which they serve passengers onboard – from assisting with stowing the carry-on baggage to serving the snacks and meals.

While the flight attendants at the country's youngest private airline have all the glamour and charm, and are as courteous and helpful as they can possibly be at those chores, they have also undergone rigorous training to ensure safety of all passengers on every flight, every day.

In recognition of the excellent in-flight service, the recently organised ShareTrip-Monitor Airline of the  Year 2023' conferred the Best in-flight Service (Domestic) award to Air Astra. For an airline that is only about to complete its first year of commercial flight operations, this is a significant recognition testifying the standard of training the airline has given to its flight attendants from before it began flight operations and continues as the airline prepares to expand to international operations in 2024. 

The selection and recruitment process of the airline's flight attendants adheres to stringent standards – from ensuring required academic background and appearance including physical fitness and ideal height-to-weight ratio to having the correct mindset required to deliver customer-oriented service while meeting practices for safety onboard the flights. Psychometric tests are undertaken on every candidate before they are put through extensive training on relevant subject-matters at the airline's own training centre with a capacity of 100 trainees in five well-equipped classrooms. 

While the passengers board the aircraft for their flights, the airline's theme-music composed by national award-winning composer Bappa Mazumder is played to create a welcoming ambiance in the cabin. On board the flights, the airline serves a snack box containing a sandwich or a mini-burger along with a  bottle of water, while the children travelling get busy on the "Fun Book" – a mini activity book for the  little ones given complimentary by the airline. 

The uniforms of the flight attendants – appreciated very well by the passengers who have travelled with the airline since November 2022 for its vibrant and smart styling have been designed by celebrity fashion designer Shahrukh Amin. The airline's brand shade of yellow is made to stand out while complimenting the grey and white for both male and female flight attendants on duty. The 70-seat  configuration of the airline's French-built ATR 72-600 aircraft is also the most comfortable among other.