Flight Attendants Greeting "Hello"... It Was More Than Just Simple 'Kindness'

Before Boarding the Plane, Also Serving as a 'Security Checkpoint'

An international airline flight attendant has sparked attention by revealing the hidden meaning behind flight attendants' friendliness. The reason flight attendants greet each passenger individually is also a safety measure on board. On the 2nd (local time), foreign media including the New York Post highlighted a video of Rania, a flight attendant from Hungary's low-cost airline Wizz Air. Rania recently posted a video of an in-flight announcement on her personal TikTok account.

The video included subtitles that read, "Did you know that flight attendants don’t greet every passenger just to appear friendly?" Rania explained, "The reason flight attendants say 'hello' to every passenger boarding the plane is actually to identify passengers who are intoxicated or unwell."

Global international airline crew member Rania of 'Wizz Air'
[Photo by Instagram capture]

In other words, making eye contact and greeting each passenger serves as a 'second security checkpoint.' Rania added, "Flight attendants standing during boarding check for suspicious bags and identify who can assist us in an emergency." Netizens who saw the video responded with surprise, saying things like "I had no idea" and "I thought it was just a service." On the other hand, some felt uncomfortable, saying, "It feels like I’m being watched."

In fact, unruly passengers on board are extremely dangerous incidents. Since passenger planes flying in the sky have no escape routes, such incidents could potentially lead to major accidents threatening the lives of hundreds of passengers and crew. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced at last year’s annual general meeting that "as of 2022, there were 1.76 cases of in-flight disturbances per 1,000 flights worldwide." This represents a 47% increase compared to the previous year.

In particular, IATA reported that the majority of in-flight disturbance cases involved △ smoking cigarettes or e-cigarettes in the restroom or cabin △ failure to comply with flight attendants’ instructions such as not wearing seat belts. Verbal abuse and in-flight intoxication surged by 61% and 58% respectively that year. IATA urged, "Governments and airlines worldwide need to apply stricter regulations on in-flight disturbances. A 'zero tolerance policy' is necessary for passenger safety."