All requirementsEligibility

Cabin Crew English Language Requirements by Airline

Fluent English is a near-universal requirement — it's the working language of aviation safety communication, not just customer service, so airlines test it regardless of the aircraft's home country.

Expect this tested at multiple stages: a screening call, a timed written/grammar assessment, and the ability to hold a natural conversation during the interview and group exercise. A second language is often called out as an advantage, not a requirement.

If English isn't your first language, fluency (not native-level perfection) is the bar — assessors are checking you can be clearly understood in a safety-critical situation and communicate naturally with passengers, not scoring you on accent.

Gulf & Middle East

AirlineEnglish requirement
EmiratesFluent spoken and written English; a second language is an advantage
Qatar AirwaysFluent English; additional languages (especially Mandarin, Arabic, or European languages) are a strong plus
Etihad AirwaysFluent spoken and written English
flydubaiFluent spoken and written English
SaudiaEnglish Proficiency Test (STEP by QIYAS), minimum score 52
Riyadh AirFluent English required
Air ArabiaFluent English required; additional languages an advantage
Jazeera AirwaysFluent English required
Oman AirEnglish proficiency required
Kuwait AirwaysFluent English required; Arabic fluency is a plus

Indian Domestic

AirlineEnglish requirement
Air IndiaFluent spoken English; Hindi and a regional language are an advantage
IndiGoFluent spoken English; Hindi and regional languages are a plus
SpiceJetFluent English required
Akasa AirFluent English required, with a separate language-proficiency assessment at interview

Asia-Pacific

AirlineEnglish requirement
QantasFluent English required; additional languages are an advantage for international routes
Singapore AirlinesFluent English with good communication skills
Cathay PacificFluent English required; at least one Asian language is also required
Vietjet AirTOEIC score of 500+ required (600+ can offset a small height shortfall)
AirAsiaStrong command of English required; additional languages an advantage
Virgin AustraliaFluent English required
ScootStrong English communication skills required

Europe

AirlineEnglish requirement
Wizz AirFluent spoken and written English — the whole recruitment process runs in English
RyanairFluent English required
easyJetFluent English required
British AirwaysFluent spoken and written English
Turkish AirlinesEnglish proficiency required
LufthansaFluent German AND good English required — this is not an English-only carrier
KLMFluent Dutch AND English required — this is not an English-only carrier

Africa

AirlineEnglish requirement
Ethiopian AirlinesEnglish proficiency at Level III required; additional languages are an advantage

Figures last reviewed 2026-08-17. Airlines revise standards between recruitment intakes — always confirm on the airline’s own careers page before applying.

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