Guest Lecture · Campus Report
What Airlines Really Look For
Employability Skills for Aviation Graduates
On the morning of Wednesday, 12 August 2026, the Institute of Aviation Studies at Srinivas University turned its auditorium into something closer to a pre-departure briefing than a lecture hall. Second-year students of BBA Aviation & Logistics Management and final-year students of BBA Aviation Management gathered at 9:45 AM for a guest lecture built around one very practical question: what does it actually take to get hired by an airline?
Speaking from years of experience on the cabin floor, Mr. Arun Kumar walked students through the qualities airlines actually screen for at recruitment — making it clear that a degree opens the door, but employability skills are what get a candidate through it. He emphasised that success in aviation depends as much on communication, confidence, grooming, teamwork, discipline, and attitude as it does on academic marksheets.
Your degree gets you to the interview. These nine skills get you on board.
9 Skills Airlines Look For
Beyond the Skills List
Practical do's and don'ts for aviation interview panels — from first impression to first answer.
What airlines expect once the offer letter is signed — conduct, communication, and code.
Where the runway leads — growth paths within cabin crew and the wider airline ecosystem.
Moments from the Session
A full house — final-year and second-year aviation students packed the auditorium for the session.
Mr. Arun Kumar engages the room, with student coordinators standing by.
Breaking down real airline recruitment expectations for second and final-year students.
Dr. Pavithra Kumari, Dean, IAS, welcomes Mr. Arun Kumar M. to the Institute.
A token of appreciation is exchanged among the organising team ahead of the session.
On the dais: the Institute's faculty coordinator, Dr. Pavithra Kumari (Dean), Mr. Arun Kumar M., and Ms. Varshitha (Guest Lecture Coordinator).
The guest lecture was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Pavithra Kumari, Dean, together with the Institute's Student Welfare Officer, HODs, and Guest Lecture Coordinator Ms. Varshitha, with the faculty and staff of the Institute of Aviation Studies ensuring the session ran seamlessly. The interactive format gave students first-hand industry exposure and left them with a sharper sense of what airline recruiters actually expect — motivating them to build the competencies needed to become industry-ready aviation professionals.
Institute of Aviation Studies · Srinivas University, Mangaluru