Delta unveils newly expanded flight attendant training center by Atlanta airport

ATLANTA - The Delta Air Lines flight attendant training center just underwent a multi-million-dollar expansion near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The facility is used to train new and current crew members. They learn a variety of safety and service aspects of the job, like emergency water evacuations.

"It’s something that we don’t want to see, but if it happens, we need to be ready," said Zane Wells, a Delta flight attendant training program manager.

Wells helps lead the 6-week training program for all newly hired flight attendants.

The program puts a huge focus on hands-on learning, and it is not just for trainees, but also current flight attendants who have to come back every 18 months to remain qualified.

"We want it to be second nature for our flight attendants, so they can keep themselves safe while also keeping our customers safe," Wells said.

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Every simulation is about safety to make sure flight attendants are prepared should something happen in the sky – anything from a medical emergency to cabin depressurization, even to an emergency evacuation.

"Safety is our priority," said TJ Johnson, director of inflight hiring and learning at Delta.

With that focus in mind, Johnson says new hires get put through a lot to get them ready for the job.

One specific training focus is unruly passengers as cases are on the rise.

"We ensure our flight attendants are trained on different scenario-based training that involves deescalation tactics," Johnson said.

Besides safety skills, flight attendants also learn another important aspect of the job here, service. All of this happens at a facility that just underwent a multi-million-dollar expansion. 

The upgrades will allow the airline to hire and train a record 4,000 to 6,000 flight attendants this year.

"We feel really good about the number of flight attendants that we have onboarded and trained to be ready to meet the demands of the summer," Johnson said.

Over the last few years, staffing, COVID and other challenges impacted operations. Delta says more team members means a better experience for everyone.

"We want to make sure that we are ensuring a work-life balance for our flight attendants," Johnson said. "So, we're providing them more schedule flexibility and then also, we want to make sure that we're providing our customers with the experience that they expect."