CABIN CREW LANGUAGE SKILLS | The Importance Of English In Aviation| ICAO / NATO Phonetic Alphabet

Today, I want to talk about the phonetic aviation alphabet and the importance of it when used in aviation.

This alphabet was actually developed by ICAO, which is the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The reason it was created was to ensure that messages and letters were communicated accurately. Because of misunderstandings, tragic things have happened in the sky. There was one incident where two pilots were trying to communicate, and one engine failed. They told him to turn off something on the right, and there was just miscommunication.

The purpose of this alphabet is to ensure that when you spell something out or say something, it is received accurately without any miscommunication. It’s super important because when you’re up in the sky, especially if you’re a pilot, you want to make sure that your colleague understands you. You need to ensure that you’re communicating with ATC (air traffic control) properly, so that if they give you a certain instruction, you’ve received it well. You know exactly that what you are doing is in perfect alignment with what they have told you.

There are lots of people who have subscribed to me who are about to become cabin crew for the airline I previously worked for. Actually, the reason I’m making this video is because one person sent me a message on Instagram. They asked me about struggling to remember airport codes and the phonetic alphabet. I told her that while airport codes are important, what’s even more important is to know this phonetic alphabet. That’s something you’re going to be using way more on the training course and in the job than all the airport codes.

Let’s go through the phonetic alphabet. I use this quite a lot when it came to communicating certain things on the job. For example, there’s a passenger in 33 Bravo who wants this, or a passenger in 17 Charlie who’s had a panic attack. It’s great for clear communication, and you use it very often on the job. When you are asked to deliver or spell your crew code, which is how you are identified within the company, you are actually a code. That crew code is usually a mix of your surname and your first name, arranged in a specific way. You would spell that out using the phonetic alphabet.

Now, let’s go through the aviation alphabet. This is something you must know if you are wanting to be a cabin crew or a pilot.

1. A is Alpha,
2. B is Bravo,
3. C is Charlie,
4. D is Delta,
5. E is Echo,
6. F is Foxtrot,
7. G is Golf,
8. H is Hotel,
9. I is India,
10. J is Juliet,
11. K is Kilo,
12. L is Lima,
13. M is Mike,
14. N is November,
15. O is Oscar,
16. P is Papa,
17. Q is Quebec,
18. R is Romeo,
19. S is Sierra,
20. T is Tango,
21. U is Uniform,
22. V is Victor,
23. W is Whiskey,
24. X is X-ray,
25. Y is Yankee,
26. Z is Zulu. You might also hear the term “Zulu time,” which refers to Greenwich Mean Time.

I hope this video has been interesting for you and that I’ve emphasised the importance of the phonetic alphabet. Another key point is the importance of English in aviation. English is essential for communicating with all your colleagues, no matter what country they are from, ensuring there are no misunderstandings. You need to know English to pass the necessary tests, as it is a requirement in aviation.