Happy World Flight Attendant Appreciation Day! May 31st is celebrated around the globe as the International Cabin Crew Day.

Why the 31st May? The feast day of St. Bona of Pisa is on 29th May. It is believed that St. Bona is the patron saint of flight attendants. She is said to come from the third order of Augustinian nuns who helped pilgrims.

It is the day when airlines should step up and show their appreciation to their cabin crew who make air travel safe and comfortable for their customers. All cabin crew in the world are trained for weeks to be able to respond to countless situations on board, they are not simply waiters and waitresses, they are also fire fighters, nurses, police officers, crowd controllers, mental health first aiders and more. In one word they are safety professionals. Sales is about money, safety is about life!

It is time that all employers started treating their cabin crew members with the respect and dignity they deserve! It is up to the airlines to send a clear message to their customers that cabin crew are safety professionals who are on board aircrafts to save lives and not just to serve drinks and snacks.