By Earl Nurse, CNN
(CNN) A fire rages in an airplane’s overhead compartment while alarmed passengers cough from the smoke filtering through the cabin. What happens next could be a matter of life and death.
Fortunately, this is just a drill. But for the hopeful flight attendants of Ethiopian Airlines it’s a vital exercise in how to remain cool under extreme pressure.
“We must be strong in our mind to manage the emergency situations,” says Gloria Lawson, trainee flight attendant at the Ethiopian Aviation Academy. “Now we are doing theoretical lessons. (But) after one month, we will begin (with the) practical.”
Lawson, originally from Togo in West Africa, has come to the largest aviation training school on the continent to learn her trade before taking to the skies.
Focused on pilots, ground staff, maintenance technicians, cabin crew, and leadership roles, it currently trains 1,300 students, who come from all over Africa.
But gaining access to this renowned institution is no cakewalk.
“When I was called I was so glad,” says, Estelle Ngondonbol, a flight attendant trainee from Cameroon. “I thought ‘oh my god it’s my dream being realized.’ I was so happy.”
To be accepted “you’ve got to speak French, English, have a degree from a university and be presentable and pretty girl,” Ngondonbol adds.
The cost for flight attendant training is $5,000 for a three-month course. By contrast, the full pilot training program goes for $68,000.
In addition to learning basic service skills, flight attendants are also expected to handle a variety of scenarios, including an emergency water landing.
For Ethiopian Airlines CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, this thorough approach is the only approach. $80 million has been invested in expanding the training facility recently.
“The Ethiopian Aviation Academy is going to play a leading role in making sure that Africans are well educated and prepared for 21st Century African aviation,” Gebremariam says
Read more: Inside Africa’s largest aviation academy
Source: CNN
