Originally Posted by
Mr. Elliott
There is a FAA regulation FAR 121.391 that requires 1 FA for every 50 seats, starting from 20 seat aircraft, up to 19, no FA is required, so an airplane that seats 180 total requires 4 FA’s. Any amount of FA’s over the minimum the airline uses as listed in its emergency evacuation demonstration is then mandatory, so if the airlines uses 7 FA’s, than that is the minimum required under their operating certificate, if they want to add more for better in flight service, they can but they must have at least the minimum for dispatch.
So an AA B-767-200 with it’s 3 class seating seats about 168, then what governs the amount is what is listed on their operating certificate, so AA can add more and they can legally adjust up or down depending on the passenger count and union rules, which I expect is specific to the minimum amount of FA’s that AA is required to have on board a specific model airplane over the FAA requirement
Mr. Elliott
The FAA requirement is 1 F/A per 50 seats on an aircraft. However, there has to be a F/A available at each exit. On a narrowbody this is easy and a single F/A can cover two FWD doors for example, but on the widebodies it is a bit more difficult so that raises the required number of F/A onboard. As for the 767 with the OWWE (over wing window exits) carries that have that configuration have to use those exits as primary exits and because they are primary exits they have to have a F/A present. The 763 requires a min crew complement of 6 to operate that aircraft - any more than six is above the min. Now for boarding and deplaning the aircraft has to have the min crew onboard and they have to remain onboard. Now over the last year the FAA did update the reg stating that a F/A can get off the A/C to assist a pax with a safety related issue during boarding which is a big deal. F/A's were freaked to get off of an A/C during that time for fear of getting in trouble. Lastly, during a thru stop the min requirent of F/A onboard gets cut in half while passengers remain onboard - more of something that happens on a narrowbody.
I happen to know a ton about this since in my previous life I was in charge of the stewardess manual for my airline - I am kinda of a walking FAR and really know what they can and cannot do as well as knowing when it is a reg or a company policy.