In addition to serving meals, what is an essential duty of flight attendants?

One of the essential duties of flight attendants is to assist in passenger health and safety matters. This responsibility is crucial as flight attendants are trained to respond to a variety of situations that may arise during a flight, including medical emergencies. They are equipped to handle first aid, recognize the signs of distress, and coordinate with medical personnel if necessary. Additionally, flight attendants play a key role in enforcing safety protocols, demonstrating emergency procedures, and ensuring that passengers adhere to safety regulations. This focus on passenger well-being is vital to the overall safety and comfort of everyone on board.

Other responsibilities may include serving meals or managing in-flight transactions, but these do not directly relate to health and safety in the way that the assistance in health and safety matters does. Conducting technical aircraft inspections and training new pilots or crew members fall outside the scope of a flight attendant's role, as those tasks are typically managed by specialized personnel such as pilots or maintenance crews.