Define “old.”
For pilots, there’s actually a legal requirement as to what age you can no longer safely operate an aircraft, (currently 65 years) and you are forced to retire.
There is not such a rule for Flight Attendants, but what is a requirement is that pass recurrent training, which tests not just mental but physical ability. I know for a fact that while I could pass most of it still, in my current shape I could absolutely not do the one-arm unassisted scramble from a water position into a life-raft. I had a bit of trouble with it when I was 23, 15+ years later there’s just no way without seriously hitting the pull-up bar. (And why would I want to?)
So, what happens when a Flight Attendant can no longer pass recurrent training? Well, one of three things:
- they keep trying until they pass
- find another job
- stop working entirely
And then, of course, there’s simply people (like me) who chose to leave the profession on their own, and age had nothing to do with it. This is actually the majority of Flight Attendants.
Their options are:
- find another job
- stop working entirely
Originally Posted: https://www.quora.com/What-happens-to-flight-attendants-once-they-get-old
Originally Posted On: 2016-03-06