Air India Air HostessRequirements & Hiring
Everything you need to know before you apply to Air India— requirements, real pay, the hiring process, and whether they're recruiting right now. Also called cabin crew or flight attendant on other airlines' listings — same job.
Reviewed August 2026 · confirm exact figures on Air India's careers page before applying.
- Age:
- 18–27 typically, varies by recruitment drive
- English:
- Fluent spoken English; Hindi and a regional language are an advantage
- Hiring:
- 5-stage process. Recruitment drives run periodically, especially after fleet or route expansion announcements.
Is Air India hiring right now?
Post-merger with Vistara, Air India's international cabin crew hiring has picked up pace.
Track Air India hiring newsAir India cabin crew requirements
- Age
- 18–27 typically, varies by recruitment drive
- Education
- 10+2 (higher secondary) minimum; graduates preferred for international routes
- English
- Fluent spoken English; Hindi and a regional language are an advantage
- Tattoos
- No visible tattoos in uniform is the general standard
- Swimming
- Swimming ability is assessed as part of safety training
- Medical
- Class 2 medical fitness certificate required
Reported height 155 cm (female) / 170 cm (male); BMI proportionate to height also assessed. Check your own eligibility — free →
Air India cabin crew salary
- Basic pay
- ₹25,000–30,000 basic for freshers
- Flying pay
- Flying allowance on top of basic, scales with hours and route type
- Per-diem
- Layover allowance on domestic and international routes
- Accommodation
- Not typically provided — most crew are based near their home city
Total: Roughly ₹35,000–55,000/month all-in for junior cabin crew, higher on international routes. Subject to Indian income tax as a domestic employer.
Air India hiring process
- 1Online application + CV screening
- 2Walk-in interview or online video round (grooming + English check)
- 3Group discussion
- 4Final interview with a recruitment panel
- 5Medical exam, then a training offer
Recruitment drives run periodically, especially after fleet or route expansion announcements.
Air India interview questions & model answers →From the crew
Air India's walk-in drives move fast and can feel chaotic compared to the structured Gulf open days — arrive early, because the order you're seen in genuinely affects how much attention each candidate gets from a panel that's tired by the afternoon. Since the Vistara merger, I've noticed the bar on English and international-route readiness has risen; if you're aiming for international postings rather than domestic-only, treat the English round as seriously as you would for a Gulf carrier.
Air India cabin crew FAQs
Does Air India hire freshers with no experience?
Yes — most walk-in drives are open to freshers with the right height, English, and grooming standards; hospitality or customer service background is a plus but not mandatory.
What happened to Vistara cabin crew recruitment?
Vistara merged into Air India in 2024 — all cabin crew recruitment for that brand now runs under the Air India name.