§ 44728. Flight attendant certification

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

1. 2003

   Pub. L. 108–176 title VIII § 814(a) · 117 Stat. 2490

   Enacted · 49 U.S.C. § 44728

   Added Pub. L. 108–176, title VIII, § 814(a), Dec. 12, 2003, 117 Stat. 2590

   Source evidence

   Code source credit
   Added Pub. L. 108–176, title VIII, § 814(a), Dec. 12, 2003, 117 Stat. 2590

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (a) In General.— Chapter 447 is further amended by adding at the end the following: “§ 44728. Flight attendant certification “(a) Certificate Required.— “(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. “(b) Issuance of Certificate.— 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. “(c) Designation of Person To Determine Successful Completion of Training.— In accordance with part 183 of chapter 14, Code of Federal Regulation, 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. “(d) Specifications Relating to Certificates.— 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) is similar in size and appearance to certificates issued to airmen; “(4) contain the airplane group for which the certificate is issued; and “(5) Deadlines. 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. “(e) Approval of Training Programs.— 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. “(f) Flight Attendant Defined.— 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.” .

2. 2012

   FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012

   Pub. L. 112–95 title III § 304(a) · 126 Stat. 11

   1. Added · 49 U.S.C. § 44728(f); 49 U.S.C. § 44728(g)

      Pub. L. 112–95 added subsec. (f)

   2. Redesignated · 49 U.S.C. § 44728(f); 49 U.S.C. § 44728(g)

      Pub. L. 112–95 redesignated former subsec. (f) as (g)

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 112–95 added subsec. (f) and redesignated former subsec. (f) as (g).

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (a) In General.— Section 44728 is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (g); and (2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following: “(f) Minimum Language Skills.— “(1) In general.— 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.” .

3. 2018

   FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018

   Pub. L. 115–254 § 539(i)(1) · 132 Stat. 3187

   Substituted · 49 U.S.C. § 44728(c)

   Pub. L. 115–254, § 539(i)(1), substituted “title 14” for “chapter 14”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–254, § 539(i)(1), substituted “title 14” for “chapter 14”.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (1) in subsection (c), by striking “chapter” and inserting “title”; and

4. 2018

   FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018

   Pub. L. 115–254 § 539(i)(2) · 132 Stat. 3187

   Substituted · 49 U.S.C. § 44728(d)(3)

   Pub. L. 115–254, § 539(i)(2), substituted “be” for “is”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 115–254, § 539(i)(2), substituted “be” for “is”.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (2) in subsection (d)(3), by striking “is” and inserting “be”.

5. 2024

   Pub. L. 118–63 title XI § 1101(p) · 138 Stat. 1414

   Substituted · 49 U.S.C. § 44728(c)

   Pub. L. 118–63 substituted “Regulations,” for “Regulation,”

   Unresolved: Pub. L. 118–63 was not found in the local Statutes at Large index.

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 118–63 substituted “Regulations,” for “Regulation,”.

5 of 6 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 unresolved