Factual Information 2015:1.17 Organisational and Management Information/1.17.2.3.2
1.17.2.3.2 In-flight Services a) Cabin Crew Cabin Crew are required to be present on public transport flights to perform duties in the interest of passenger’s safety. They must be well-informed about safety and policies of the Company. Each cabin crew member shall: Be well prepared and fit for the flight Ensure adherence of “Fasten seat belt” and “No Smoking” signs Ensure the comfort and safety of all passengers Ensure passengers safely escape in an emergency evacuation Cabin Crew is a person employed to facilitate the safety of passengers whose duties are detailed by the Company or the aircraft commander. Cabin Crew will not act as a member of the flight crew. At the point of recruitment the candidate has to go through a thorough interview and medical check-up. Once selected, a comprehensive training of safety and service procedure will be provided by the airline for the duration of 3 months and he/she will graduate and leave the academy as a qualified Cabin Crew assigned to the selected fleet that one is trained for. MAS has the policy of fleet grouping for cabin crew in the following order: Narrow Body : B737 Wide Body : A330, B777 & B747/A380 Upon graduation, Cabin Crew would be given a flight duty roster on a monthly basis. The roster is managed by the Crew Planning & Deployment Section. Initially, Cabin Crew would be required to operate the domestic and the regional flights known as the Narrow Body Fleet for a minimum of 2 years. With sufficient experience gained in the narrow body fleet they may be promoted and will have to undergo additional training for the new fleet that they are promoted to. This will include international network which is normally operated by the Wide Body Fleet. The selection of crew for promotion normally depends on individual’s competency and track record. On yearly basis, Cabin Crew is required to go through a safety recurrent training on their Safety Emergency Procedures (SEP) at the academy in order to keep their licence and training validated by certified instructors. It is mandatory for the crew to achieve the required minimum safety and emergency procedures and knowledge which are assessed through examinations. This recurrent training includes first aid training and examination, to get the certificate renewed. There is also a “Safety Awareness Programme” (SAP) and “Crew Resource Management” (CRM) classes that is compulsory for the Cabin Crew to attend every 2 years. These two programmes are basically similar and they are incorporated within the 3 days of training. Cabin Crew will be issued with a Safety Card endorsed by the Safety and Human Factors Department of MAS as well as Crew Performance Card issued by the Cabin Crew Line Operation and Performance Department. The crew will be expected to carry these two documents at all times for flight duty. b) Crew Performance Appraisal (CPA) To maintain and achieve a high standard of service and safety, each and every Cabin Crew is required to have a CPA which is done twice a year. The assessment is done by the crew in charge on board during the flight. The Cabin Crew will be checked on aspects such as safety and service procedure, product knowledge, Customs, Immigration and Quarantine, station documents, grooming and leadership skills. The crew in charge will conduct the checking on the crew by Questions & Answers (Q & A) and how the individual performs as part of the operational crew member in his/her assigned capacity. c) In-flight Operation On board a Boeing 777-200 aircraft the standard operating cabin crew of 11 is required. The normal cabin crew complement for the Boeing 777-200 aircraft is as follows: In-flight Supervisor : 1 Chief Steward/Chief Stewardess : 2 Leading Steward/Leading Stewardess: 2 Flight Steward/Flight Stewardess : 6 The 777-200 fleet has a two-cabin configuration with Golden Class Club (GCC) and Economy Class (EY). Four cabin crew will be designated to work in GCC and six in EY. The In-flight Supervisor is in charge of the whole cabin. Two Chief Steward/Chief Stewardesses look after the GCC assisted by two cabin crew. Six cabin crew are designated to work in EY class. The EY class is divided into two sections and each section is looked after by one Leading Steward/Leading Stewardess and assisted by two cabin crew. The In-flight Supervisor is the person responsible to manage the cabin safety and report to the Commander of the aircraft. He or she shall: Have the overall responsibility to the aircraft commander for the conduct, coordination and performance of the cabin operations and the safety duties. Verify that all the cabin crew members are fit for flight and with all relevant documents valid for flight duty. Coordinate and organise the functions and tasks of all cabin crew members: i. Execute cabin crew briefing ii. Nominate positions and working areas iii. Nominate in flight service duties iv. Checking of emergency equipment, pre-flight safety briefing and reporting matters concerning safety (irregularities and malfunctions) to the Commander v. Debriefing the cabin crew members when required vi. Ensuring efficient communication with crew members and ground personnel vii. Ensuring contact with the flight deck on a regular basis. The minimum requirement of the operating cabin crew for the B777-200 fleet is 8 as per Civil Aviation Regulation. The minimum number of operating Cabin Crew in a flight is governed by the number of the doors of the aircraft. A B777-200 aircraft has 8 doors therefore the minimum number of Cabin Crew for the flight to be dispatched is 8. This is basically a safety requirement where in the event of emergency each door will be operated by a trained Cabin Crew. However the number of Cabin Crew operating may increase in the interest of Customer services requirement. d) Flight and Duty Time Limitations Scheme for Cabin Crew The prime objective of a flight time limitations scheme is to ensure that crew members are adequately rested at the beginning of each flying duty period, and whilst flying, be sufficiently free from fatigue so that they can operate to a satisfactory level of efficiency and safety in all normal and abnormal situations. The maximum duty hours for cabin crew shall not exceed: 60 hours in 7 consecutive days 105 hours in any 14 consecutive days 210 hours in any 28 consecutive days Cabin crew will be notified in advance of a flying duty period so that sufficient and uninterrupted pre-flight rest can be obtained. When away from base, opportunities and facilities for adequate pre-flight rest will be provided by the Company in suitable accommodation. The minimum rest period which must be taken before undertaking a flying duty period shall be: At least as long as the preceding duty period, or 12 hours, Whichever is greater. The minimum rest period shall be the higher of pre-flight or post flight rest. It is not cumulative of both rests. The minimum rest period which must be provided before undertaking a flight, at home base shall be: Flight Rest Period Pre-Flight 40 hours (inclusive 2-local nights) Post Flight 72 hours (inclusive 3-local nights) The minimum rest period which must be provided after performing a flight, out of base shall be: MAS Employee Union (MASEU) is the recognised union certified by MAS to represent the cabin crew. Flight Time Limitation and working condition are governed by the Collective Agreement (CA) signed between the union and MAS, in compliance with CAR or whichever is more limiting. e) Cabin Safety Report Accident/Incident/Hazard Reports Form MAS manages in-house reporting system to identify many of these Accidents/ Incidents/ Hazards by collecting and then analysing hazard and incident reports to audit incidents encountered during flight. Incident reporting system is one of the most effective tools for pro-active hazard identification. Cabin Crew are to fill up this form and to submit it at the end of the flight within 24 hours. Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRPS) CHIRPS stands for where it applies for the flight crew, cabin crew and engineering personnel only. It is a none-disclosure type of document where one can use and submit to the Company to any complaints and issues. CHIRPS can only be used for human factor and safety issues, errors and unsafe practices and where some may potentially infringe regulatory practises. It is not to be used for mandatory incidents reporting, personality conflicts, industrial issues and employment problems. It will be reviewed by the members of the CHIRPS staff and actions will be taken accordingly. All these reports are managed by the Corporate Safety Oversight and Human Factors Department.