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Senior Cabin Crew Member (SCCM) Article Information

Description General
Category:
The Senior Cabin Crew Member (SCCM), also referred to as the In-flight Service Manager
(ISM), Flight Service Director (FSD), Customer Service Manager (CSM), Cabin Service Content
Director (CSD), or by other titles, is the senior flight attendant in the flight attendant SKYbrary
source:
chain of command. The SSCM is responsible to the captain/commander for passenger
safety and cabin security, and accountable to the Company for customer service. The Content
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designation of "SCCM" is a company appointment and does not necessarily mean that control:
the SCCM is the most senior, in terms of years of service with the company, of the crew
members on a flight. Qualifications for SCCM appointment vary by carrier but will
virtually always include previous experience as a flight attendant. Further training, both
classroom and in-flight, is typical, and a new SCCM will normally conduct their first
flight(s) in the role whilst under the supervision of a designated trainer. The SCCM will
typically earn a higher salary or hourly wage than other flight attendants due to the
added responsibility and managerial aspects of the role.

Requirement

Within their regulations, the National Aviation Authority (NAA) will define both the
aircraft capacity threshold beyond which a Flight Attendant must be carried (in excess of
19 passenger seats is a common rule), and the incremental requirement for additional
flight attendants, based on varying combinations of the number of emergency exits and
either the total number of seats or the actual number of passengers on board. When
there is more than one flight attendant on the crew, one will be designated as the
SCCM. On very large aircraft, such as the BOEING 747-800, the BOEING 777-300,
the AIRBUS A350-1000 and the AIRBUS A380-800, it is common practice, in many
companies, to subdivide the cabin area into several sections with a designated in-charge
flight attendant for each. However, a SCCM, with overall responsibility for the entire
aircraft, will still be assigned.

Prerequisites

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has not mandated a global
requirement for Cabin Crew Licensing. As a consequence, the licensing, certification and
training requirements for Flight Attendants vary by NAA. Likewise, the prerequisites for
employment as a Senior Cabin Crew Member vary from company to company. Virtually
all carriers demand previous experience as a flight attendant before considering an
individual for employment as a SCCM. One year is generally considered the minimum
although there are companies that demand significantly more time in the subordinate
role. Candidates will normally be screened based on their aptitude, attitude, crew
assessments and the recommendations of their supervisors. Date of hire (company
seniority) is often used as the discriminator between equally qualified candidates.

Training

Flight Attendant training requirements for their safety and security roles are dictated by
the NAA and will include items such as cabin safety, security and evacuation, first aid
and cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and fire fighting. The scope of customer
service training, such as meal and beverage service or sale of duty free items, is
determined by the company. As part of their SCCM training, a flight attendant will
review their previous safety and service training from a supervisory perspective and will
be trained in the requirements for, and the completion of, all associated forms and
reports. SCCM training can be done "in-house' or through a third-party provider. The
training syllabus will normally include items such as:

Pre-Flight Briefing requirement and content

Chain of command and inter-crew cooperation
Legal framework
Review of operator requirements
Company forms and reports
Accident and Incident reporting
Flight and duty time limitations and rest requirements
P.A. announcements
Human factors
Crew resource management

The classroom training phase will be followed by a Company determined period of on-
FEEDBACK

the-job training, during which the candidate will act as the SCCM under the supervision
of a designated trainer.

Duties and Responsibilities

As stated earlier, the SCCM is responsible to the captain for all aspects of safety and
security and accountable to the company for customer service. Service duties will vary
by company, flight duration and with the size of the aircraft and number of crew
members. From a safety and security perspective, the duties of the SCCM include, but
are not limited to:

Ensuring preflight liaison with the captain to ascertain flight details (time, weather,
areas of adverse conditions such as turbulence), special instructions and
considerations, and to confirm emergency signals
Conducting preflight crew briefing to assign crew positions, review flight conditions,
confirm revision status of flight attendant manuals, review selected emergency
procedures, and to assess the grooming standard amongst the crew members
Supervising pre-boarding cabin security and emergency equipment checks to ensure
all required equipment is onboard and serviceable, that there are no suspicious
packages or items present within the cabin, and to to verify that there is no evidence
that the security of the cabin has been compromised
Ensuring that sufficient meals, beverages, bar stock and duty free items have been
boarded, checked for security and appropriately stowed
In coordination with the captain, commencing passenger boarding at the appropriate
time, ensuring that boarding documentation is verified when required and that carry-
on baggage conforms to company standards and limitations
Making appropriate public address (PA) system announcements during boarding and,
as appropriate, during all other phases of flight
Conducting passenger safety briefings/demonstrations, either live or by pre-recorded
video
Ensuring that the total number of passengers on board matches the passenger
manifest
Advising the captain when boarding is complete and, in coordination with the Captain
and Ground Supervisor, ensuring that all cabin doors are closed and secured
Ensuring that Flight Deck Security is maintained at all times
Directing the arming (and disarming) of door emergency evacuation slides
Ensuring that the cabin is secure (passengers seated with seat belts fastened, all cabin
baggage stowed and secured, all galleys and lavatories secure) for takeoff, landing and
at any other time directed by the captain
Coordinating and directing the efforts of the cabin crew in the event of an inflight
fire or other emergency, a medical incident or an unruly passenger
In the event of a diversion, or the requirement for an emergency landing or ditching,
coordinating with the Captain to obtain the emergency briefing, briefing the cabin
crew and supervising the preparation of the cabin and passengers
Ensuring that the captain is kept aware of any security issue, medical concern,
equipment malfunction or any emergency situation in a clear, unambiguous manner
Completing and submitting all required forms and paperwork inclusive of, but not
limited to:

customs forms and general declarations

accident and incident reports
commissary reports, duty free reconciliation reports
Flight Attendant assessment reports
Company flight reports

Related Articles

Cabin Crew Licensing

Emergency Evacuation on Land
Emergency Evacuation on Water
Passenger Cabin Fire

Categories: General

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