Singapore Airlines Emphasizes Safety Training for Their Iconic 'Singapore Girls'

Singapore Airlines is known for its "Singapore Girls," flight attendants with a reputation for grace and award-winning service, but they are also well trained in safety and emergency response procedures, according to NBC News.

"We want them to make sure passengers have not just an enjoyable flight, but a safe one," Joseph Kwok, a safety training executive for Singapore Airlines, said. "One lesson we can learn from the Asiana evacuation is that it was successful because the crew responded the way they were trained."

Singapore Airlines has a rigorous training program for cabin attendants that includes the study of previous crashes. The details of the Asiana Airlines crash in San Francisco have become an informal part of the course syllabus.

The program, at 15 weeks, is one of the longest training programs of its kind. U.S. airlines typically have training programs that last between five and nine weeks.

The course teaches attendants grooming, social skills and cabin service, as well as a 14-day safety section that includes classes in emergency procedures, first aid and security and drills specific to different types of planes. Students are tested at every stage of the program before they are allowed to move on to the next stage.

"The faster you can get people out of the plane, the higher the survival probability," Kwok said. "That was proven by the Asiana crew."

The training facility has a tall platform where students are able to practice exiting the plane through the emergency chute. Trainees learn ditching procedures as well as slide-raft boarding and launching. The female flight attendants learn to do this while wearing the Singapore Airlines sarong-style uniform.

Flight attendants on U.S. carriers must pass an annual refresher course in safety measures. They review medical procedures and evacuation procedures, which includes discussing any accidents that occurred the previous year.

"We discuss what went wrong, how the crew reacted and how they could have done things differently," Heather Poole, a flight attendant on a major U.S. carrier and the author of "Cruising Altitude," said.