Airline food service worker

Airline food service workers prepare food and serve customers. They prepare simple dishes to be used in places that serve food such restaurants, cafeterias, hotels, hospitals and ensure that kitchen operations run smoothly and efficiently.

Includes food service workers preparing food for flight and aviation companies.

Airline food service workers are stationed in a flight kitchen at the airport. They spend most of their time standing, and prepare and cook food for the flights. They also set up silverware, dishes, and glasses, and arrange the food onto serving trays. Then, the containers are loaded into hot or cold containers to be loaded onto the aircraft.

Airline food service work is similar to working in a restaurant kitchen: the workers are required to wear uniforms, and have certain grooming standards. Their health needs to be certified. Airline food service workers can either be hired directly by an airline or through a catering company that has been hired by the airlines to handle all of their food service needs. They may be required to work any shift because food is prepared in accordance with the flight schedules.

The following job titles also refer to airline food service worker:

food services worker
airline catering assistant
worker in airline food services
airline food preparer
food production assistant
airline catering worker
kitchen assistant
airline food kitchen worker

A high school diploma is generally the minimum required to work as an airline food service worker. Senior roles require more extensive restaurant or food service experience, and possibly a culinary degree or vocational training. Most training for food service personnel occurs on the job.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Airline food service worker is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to airline food service worker.

bulk filler
train dispatcher
fish trimmer
pasta maker
cattle pedicure

Airline food service workers can advance to chef, supervisor, or become the buyer. Those who have already been through a chef school and graduated may be able to get hired as a chef for the airline.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of airline food service worker.

• Foodborne diseases: Understand foodborne illnesses and poisoning as to prevent public health problems.
• Food legislation: Legislation related to the food and feed industry including food manufacturing, hygiene, safety, raw materials, additives, GMOs, labelling, environmental and trade regulations.
• Food allergies: The types of food allergies within the sector, which substances trigger allergies, and how they can be replaced or eliminated (if possible).
• Food preservation: Deterioration factors, controlling factors (temperature, additives, humidity, pH, water activity, etc., including packaging) and food processing methods to preserve food products.

These skills are necessary for the role of airline food service worker.

• Follow control of substances hazardous to health procedures: Adhere to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) procedures for activities that involve hazardous substances, such as bacteria, allergens, waste oil, paint or brake fluids that result in illness or injury.
• Comply with food safety and hygiene: Respect optimal food safety and hygiene during preparation, manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and delivery of food products.
• Store raw food materials: Keep in reserve raw materials and other food supplies, following stock control procedures.
• Use different communication channels: Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
• Maintain food specifications: Preserve, review, and evaluate existing food specifications such as recipes.
• Clean kitchen equipment: Disinfect kitchen equipment, utensils and other facilities such as trolleys and hot cupboards.
• Follow hygienic procedures during food processing: Ensure a clean working space according to hygienic standards in the food processing industry.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of airline food service worker. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Apply company policies: Apply the principles and rules that govern the activities and processes of an organisation.
• Prepare meals for flights: Prepare meals and drinks according to the menu specifications of an airline company.
• Improvise to occuring food processing situations: Adapt a flexible approach to occuring problems in the process of creating food and beverages.
• Liaise with colleagues: Liaise with fellow colleagues to ensure common understanding on work related affairs and agree on the necessary compromises the parties might need to face. Negotiate compromises between parties as to ensure that work in general run efficiently towards the achievement of the objectives.

5246 – Food service counter attendants

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References

1. ESCO
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
3. Airport Food Service Employment – JobMonkey
4. Airline Food Service Employee – -AvJobs