Flight Attendants
Machines can already do 24% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 55%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Flight Attendants in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 24% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 9% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2034, and 55% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 131,650 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $63,580 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 95% for contact with people.
- Also called: Flight Attendant, In-Flight Crew Member, Inflight Services Flight Attendant, International Flight Attendant.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat and serve prepared foods | 11% | 20% to 60% | |
| Monitor passenger behavior to identify threats to the safety of the crew and other passengers | 10% | 40% to 80% | |
| Conduct periodic trips through the cabin to ensure passenger comfort and to distribute reading material, headphones, pillows, playing cards, and blankets | 8% | 20% to 60% | |
| Walk aisles of planes to verify that passengers have complied with federal regulations prior to takeoffs and landings | 6% | 3% to 30% | |
| Prepare passengers and aircraft for landing, following procedures | 6% | 3% to 30% | |
| Greet passengers boarding aircraft and direct them to assigned seats | 6% | 22% to 45% | |
| Inspect and clean cabins, checking for any problems and making sure that cabins are in order | 6% | 3% to 30% | |
| Verify that first aid kits and other emergency equipment, including fire extinguishers and oxygen bottles, are in working order | 5% | 20% to 60% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills flight attendants use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers52% of tasks by 2035 · US median $33,580
- School Bus Monitors49% of tasks by 2035 · US median $35,100
- Crossing Guards and Flaggers53% of tasks by 2035 · US median $38,100
- Animal Caretakers51% of tasks by 2035 · US median $35,360
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Flight Attendants?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2034. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of flight attendants?
Machines can do 24% of the tasks of flight attendants today and 55% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 53-2031.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Flight Attendants: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/flight-attendants/