Flight attendant requirements during passenger boarding and deplaning

This regulation allows airlines to reduce flight attendant staffing during boarding and deplaning under specific conditions, but only on aircraft requiring more than one flight attendant.

During boarding, airlines may either:

• Reduce staffing by one flight attendant if that person stays near the boarding door conducting safety duties, with engines shut down and at least one floor-level exit open, OR
• Substitute a qualified pilot or flight engineer for one flight attendant if they're specially trained in evacuation procedures, positioned in the cabin, identified to passengers, not operating that flight, and engines are shut down with an exit open

During deplaning, airlines may reduce to half the normally required flight attendants (minimum one) with engines shut down and an exit open.

Any remaining flight attendants must be strategically positioned near floor-level exits. All time spent on these duties counts as duty time for crew scheduling purposes. These provisions help airlines manage staffing efficiently while maintaining minimum safety coverage.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*