Confidential Human Factors
Incident Reporting Programme
The Charity
Aviation
Maritime
CC7369
Initial Report
Currently, the captain authorises the use of cabin and cockpit jump seats for persons on staff travel. This requires removing non-door cabin crew and placing them either in the cockpit or on an authorised crew rest seat. Recently, I operated an aircraft from {airport A} where approximately 20% of the cabin crew were not beside their doors. The minimum number of cabin crew were seated by the doors.
The persons placed in these seats were “travel companions.” Having never set eyes on the persons concerned, we have no way of assessing their suitability for a door seat. The criteria for anyone seated beside an exit are very clear. Many colleagues have complained about being seated beside an overweight person, someone who cannot speak English, or someone who has been drinking. One of the people allocated a jump seat on my flight was very smelly and wearing flip-flops.
Crew are seated beside doors to evacuate passengers and are trained to behave in a specific way if we hear an evacuation alert. Taking the time to deal with a passenger who has never used a three-point harness, who is likely to panic and distract us, could be the difference between life and death. On a twin-aisle aircraft, you need extra crew beside doors for crowd control. I know this as a fact, having taken part in evacuation tests. I feel that having trained crew beside doors is a vital part of aircraft safety. At the very least, the captain should visually confirm that he believes the person is a suitable ABP; therefore, the responsibility becomes very direct.
We have instances of crew selling their concessions to outsiders, and we have no knowledge of the background of the people on staff travel. Surely this presents a serious security threat, especially when vital equipment is stored around our door areas—equipment that could be weaponised. A person seated beside Door 1, when we need to enter and exit the flight deck, is a significant risk. On some aircraft, the forward galley has access to the engineering bay. Leaving the galley with a stranger sitting in it for prolonged periods during cabin service is a threat.
We all want our families and friends to travel, but the system needs to be tighter. I raised my concerns to the captain and SCCM but was dismissed, as it is legal.
Company Comment
The minimum legal cabin crew must occupy certain seats, this information is detailed in OM A. While the Commander may authorise the use of non‑required crew seats for staff‑travel passengers, this must never compromise emergency procedures, door operation, or the crew’s ability to maintain control of the cabin during an evacuation.
Your concerns about unsuitable individuals being seated at or near emergency exits, including those with limited mobility, communication difficulties, or behavioural issues, are valid. Cabin crew have a responsibility to assess any concerns during your interactions with them particularly when you brief them on a safety information as detailed in our procedures’ manual. Any observations that may compromise safety or security must be reported to the Commander immediately. Passengers seated in close proximity to an exit must meet the criteria of an Able‑Bodied Person (ABP), and assessing this suitability is an essential part of the decision‑making process.
It is also important to highlight that the flight deck door must never be opened when passengers are in the vicinity. Established entry and exit procedures are detailed in the procedures manual and must be followed at all times. Similarly, if you need to enter the flight deck and passengers are queueing for the forward lavatory, they should be politely asked to move away from the area and behind the curtain. The same principle applies when passengers are seated in crew seats near the flight deck.
Regarding your allegation of staff‑travel misuse, this is a contravention of our policy. Any suspected misuse must be reported through the company reporting system, the internal whistleblowing line, or by seeking guidance from a manager. We all share a responsibility to protect the safety and security of our airline.
CAA Comment
The primary purpose of cabin crew is to ensure the safety of the passengers onboard. If the operator has a process to use vacant cabin crew jump seats this should be documented within their operations manuals. Unless specifically stated in the operations manual, procedures for the use of vacant crew seats do not include relocating non-required cabin crew members. Where cabin crew members are relocated, consideration should be given to the ability of the crew member(s) to perform their assigned duties during an evacuation.
CAT.OP.MPA.165 requires any passenger who is allocated a seat that permits direct access to emergency exit to appear reasonably fit, strong, and be able and willing to assist the rapid evacuation of the aircraft in an emergency after a briefing by the crew, any passenger who, because of their condition, might hinder other passengers during an evacuation or who might impede the crew in carrying out their duties, should not be allocated these seats.
CHIRP Comment
Cabin crew are specifically trained and positioned at exits to assist with an emergency evacuation and maintain crowd control. Any passenger occupying a crew seat should therefore be appropriately briefed in accordance with the operator’s safety procedures, including the correct use of the three-point harness and, where relevant, ideally how to operate the door (noting that this is not explicitly stated in regulation).
Any passenger seated in a vacant crew seat should also meet the same criteria as those seated at an emergency exit.
The aircraft manufacturer designs the aircraft and establishes the minimum number of crew required to evacuate a full load of passengers. Any additional crew carried are primarily onboard to meet service requirements, but would of course be beneficial in the unlikely event of an emergency evacuation. Each UK operator will have its own CAA-approved procedures governing the occupancy of vacant crew seats.
Ultimately, those seats may not be required and the Commander will make a decision based on their overall assessment of the situation. As an individual crew member, the key thing you can do is advocate for yourself.