Many dream of viewing the world from the sky, while providing an enjoyable, safe trip for the passengers. For Senior Lok Yiu Wong, it has always been one of her aspirations in life to become a flight attendant.
Her inspiration began at the age of four when Wong went on her first airplane trip to Hong Kong. As she got on, a tall, young lady helped her and her family find their seats. She saw flight attendants pushing carts of food up and down the aisle, helping passengers feel at ease.
After graduating high school, Wong hopes to dive straight into her passion by getting chosen by an airline company, specifically her dream airline Cathay Pacific.
Wong’s major obstacle to acheiveing her dream is not her parents, but her height. Only five feet tall, Wong does not meet the standard height requirement of 5’6″ for many major airlines, including Cathay Pacific. If all fails, she plans to work for a private airline, which is less strict on height requirements.
“I do feel I have an advantage from other applicants because I am trilingual and many companies look for that,” Wong said. “Hopefully, they will see that I have the characteristics, abilities and passion to become a flight attendant.”
While Wong dreams of becoming a flight attendant for Cathay Pacific, Alumnus Linda Zhao dedicates much of her time to providing a smooth and pleasant trip for every passenger as a flight attendant for Cathay Pacific. Due to her childhood dream and passion of traveling and meeting new people from around the world, Zhao decided to become a flight attendant after leaving high school.
Once becoming a flight attendant, Zhao needed to gain knowledge through experience and training. As a part of the cabin crew, she must have thorough knowledge on safety, security and service procedures. Her role also involves acquiring skills in child care, first aid and fire fighting. Zhao’s major obstacle during the beginning of her career was her fear of heights.
“During my flight attendant training we had to practice one of our evacuation duties by jumping off the slide from the aircraft,” Zhao said. “I was afraid to jump off but I knew I had to step out of my comfort zone.”