A team in a Sky - How to create the ideal team for a wide body private aircraft

Dream Team – Private Jet – Wide Body

When it comes to choosing Flight Attendants for a wide body private aircraft operation, a few parameters should be taken into consideration, to get the right candidate in the right place.

If you disregard the bespoke aircraft amenities and tailor-made service, a wide body private aircraft inflight operation, could be compared to a commercial operation. ?The in-flight staff structure that is required for the private operation, must be adapted to the principal needs, but at the same time should help your organization to work smoothly.

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Ideal Team Leader qualities:

Starting with the basics, a strong on-board leader is essential. That leader should have excellent communication abilities, is self-motivated, with strong interpersonal and organization skills, is flexible in their approach and leads by the example. Ideally this should be somebody experienced in private flying, who will better understand the concepts of corporate catering ordering and handling. It is vital that the on-board leader can adapt to the principal’s needs and last-minute requests, leading the team in the same direction. Additionally, they must be able to work with different stakeholders on the ground, anywhere in the world to provide the best inflight experience to the principal.

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The Ideal In-flight Chef:

It is still popular for some commercial airlines to have an inflight chef for Business class and / or First class. To ensure a high focus on the food quality and variety, you may wish to add an inflight Chef to your team. In a private operation, an inflight Chef must be highly flexible and needs to understand the challenges in terms of ordering, loading/offloading and in different parts of the world. The principal may bring their own food onboard and the Chef must be adaptable, using resources to enhance the food experience. Therefore, it is important to seek the right candidate to compliment the Flight Attendant team. Someone with a minimum of Chef de Partie experience in a 4/5* hotel, resort, cruise line or airline, who is highly committed to working within a team. ?

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Flight attendant talent:

To align with the principal requirements and the type of operations, the choice of the Flight Attendant is pivotal. Who are the best candidates, commercial Flight Attendants, or private jet / corporate Flight Attendants? On one side, commercially trained, premium cabin Flight Attendants (First class on an international carrier) are used to working as a team under the supervision of an on-board leader and sometimes an Inflight chef, so they understand the importance of the hierarchy onboard an aircraft. Most of them have been in the industry for a minimum of 4 years and can work autonomously, taking decisions that will enhance the principal’s experience. They are used to working under standard operating procedures and most of them can adapt those procedures, to fit the principal requirements. However, they lack the personal experience of a private jet, understanding of the needs of the aircraft owner and the addition measures surrounding the importance of the confidentiality.

On the other side the adaptability and flexibility of private jet trained cabin crew is second to none. They are great at problem solving, especially in an environment with reduced resources and time constraints. But after working for so long alone, being their own manager, it might be a challenge to adapt to work again as a team under the supervision of a Cabin Manager.

With being able to see both sides of the coin it is important to stress the significance of the recruitment process.

Hiring based on personality is a highly effective way to ensure that the crew will be a good fit when they join, but also to anticipate how they will evolve in your organization. You need to ensure that when you hire, you are preparing your succession planning. Ask yourself: Who wants to stay a Flight Attendant in the long run and who doesn’t?

You may have to consider having a deputy onboard. This position is important for daily operations but also for your succession plan. How will you select, develop, and train your deputy to enable them to be your future Cabin Manager? While doing the recruitment process, think about leadership potential and candidates adding skills who will help your company. Perhaps some of your new employees already have skills to aid in the development of your organization, for example, training, recruitment or finance.

?Conclusion:

The selection of Flight Attendants is paramount. Each of them must be chosen for their genuine positive attitude, discretion, dedication to excellence, empowerment, and ability to work and overcome challenges as a team. The selection process should also combine capable individuals with different complementary personalities and diverse skills.

I believe that the goal to a smooth organization is to get the right people at the right place with high emotional intelligence and emotional agility.

Author: Nicolas Vergnaud - Service and Training Consultant, Oriental Signature ?