No person may serve as a flight attendant aboard an aircraft of an air carrier unless that person holds a certificate of demonstrated proficiency from the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. Upon the request of the Administrator or an authorized representative of the National Transportation Safety Board or another Federal agency, a person who holds such a certificate shall present the certificate for inspection within a reasonable period of time after the date of the request.

(1) In general.— No person may serve as a flight attendant aboard an aircraft of an air carrier unless that person holds a certificate of demonstrated proficiency from the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. Upon the request of the Administrator or an authorized representative of the National Transportation Safety Board or another Federal agency, a person who holds such a certificate shall present the certificate for inspection within a reasonable period of time after the date of the request.

(2) Special rule for current flight attendants.— An individual serving as a flight attendant on the effective date of this section may continue to serve aboard an aircraft as a flight attendant until completion by that individual of the required recurrent or requalification training and subsequent certification under this section.

(3) Treatment of flight attendant after notification.— On the date that the Administrator is notified by an air carrier that an individual has the demonstrated proficiency to be a flight attendant, the individual shall be treated for purposes of this section as holding a certificate issued under the section.

The Administrator shall issue a certificate of demonstrated proficiency under this section to an individual after the Administrator is notified by the air carrier that the individual has successfully completed all the training requirements for flight attendants approved by the Administrator.

In accordance with part 183 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulation,[1] the director of operations of an air carrier is designated to determine that an individual has successfully completed the training requirements approved by the Administrator for such individual to serve as a flight attendant.

Each certificate issued under this section shall—

(1) be numbered and recorded by the Administrator;

(2) contain the name, address, and description of the individual to whom the certificate is issued;

(3) be similar in size and appearance to certificates issued to airmen;

(4) contain the airplane group for which the certificate is issued; and

(5) be issued not later than 120 days after the Administrator receives notification from the air carrier of demonstrated proficiency and, in the case of an individual serving as flight attendant on the effective date of this section, not later than 1 year after such effective date.

Air carrier flight attendant training programs shall be subject to approval by the Administrator. All flight attendant training programs approved by the Administrator in the 1-year period ending on the date of enactment of this section shall be treated as providing a demonstrated proficiency for purposes of meeting the certification requirements of this section.

No person may serve as a flight attendant aboard an aircraft of an air carrier, unless that person has demonstrated to an individual qualified to determine proficiency the ability to read, speak, and write English well enough to—

No person may serve as a flight attendant aboard an aircraft of an air carrier, unless that person has demonstrated to an individual qualified to determine proficiency the ability to read, speak, and write English well enough to—

(A) read material written in English and comprehend the information;

(B) speak and understand English sufficiently to provide direction to, and understand and answer questions from, English-speaking individuals;

(C) write incident reports and statements and log entries and statements; and

(D) carry out written and oral instructions regarding the proper performance of their duties.

(2) Foreign flights.— The requirements of paragraph (1) do not apply to a flight attendant serving solely between points outside the United States.

In this section, the term “flight attendant” means an individual working as a flight attendant in the cabin of an aircraft that has 20 or more seats and is being used by an air carrier to provide air transportation.

(Added Pub. L. 108–176, title VIII, § 814(a), Dec. 12, 2003, 117 Stat. 2590; amended Pub. L. 112–95, title III, § 304(a), Feb. 14, 2012, 126 Stat. 58; Pub. L. 115–254, div. B, title V, § 539(i), Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3371.)