It's easy enough to calculate the number of air miles between Frankfurt and Los Angeles. But how many miles does a flight attendant cover on that route? Ten? Perhaps even fifteen? No one know exactly. But in the course of an eleven hour nonstop flight, during which the cabin crew provides continual passenger service, the miles certainly mount up.
Today, flights covering thousands of kilometers are daily routine. And with the new, more powerful, long-haul aircraft, an increase number of routes can be flown nonstop. This puts an additional burden on the crew.
Working conditions for cabin crews are regulated by collective agreements to ensure that they remain in top form and do not suffer from fatigue while on duty. After all, the job of flight attendants is not only to make passengers feel comfortable on board, but also to ensure optimal safely at all times. Officially regulations stipulate that for every 50 seats on an aircraft there must be one flight attendant.
When the cabin crew has finished serving the meal, the flight attendants finally have time to take a break. But what about the pilots? During take-off and initial climb they are fully occupied with flying the aircraft, maintaining contact with air traffic control and monitoring the flight plan. But once the aircraft has reached cruising altitude, a relatively quiet phase beings for the pilots. Aviation authorities stipulate that pilots must take short rest periods on flights lasting more than twelve hours. To enable them to do so, a third pilot, a Senior First officer with a special license, must be on board. He replaces the captain and co-pilot,afternately. This ensures that the cockpit is always manned by two well-rested pilots, who can then concentrate their attention on the descent and landing.