Urte has been working as a flight attendant for almost three years when the pandemic hit. On March 6, 2020, her flight to Geneva turned out to be her last flight as a flight attendant.
When talking about her job as a flight attendant, Urte treats it more as a lifestyle best described as living out of a suitcase. She was constantly on the go: leaving home for seven days and coming back for two-three days to rest and prepare for the next trip.
“This routine was a pleasure for me. Everyday it was something different, you fly with a new crew and new passengers to a new destination,” says Urte.
“The job was just perfect for me. There was not a single day I could complain about it. Of course, sometimes you are tired, you don’t get enough sleep or passengers are making you crazy, but at the end of the day I was really happy.”
When everything changed, Urte, as many of us, could not think that the pandemic would have such a big impact. On March 6, 2020, she was flying to Geneva, without an idea that it would be her last flight as a flight attendant.
“I even have a picture from my very last flight,” says Urte. “I was happy and enjoying Geneva and could not imagine what was coming next.”
In April 2020, Urte received an email saying that she was fired. Without any financial support, Urte had to start looking for work. She tried to find a job in the aviation industry, however unsuccessfully. She finally found a job in an insurance company. But exchanging the dynamic lifestyle into an eight-to-five office job was challenging. With steady shifts in the office job “life is getting boring,” says Urte.
“During the quarantine, I would take out my uniform and try it on. I could not believe I was not flying.”
Few years in the airline industry left Urte with a network of colleagues and friends. She says it is a huge support to have the aviation family around as many of them have lost their jobs too. “You have someone to talk to about your troubles, because they know what you’re going through,” adds Urte.
As an advice for other aviation workers, Urte says “try to have a plan B. Whether it’s another education or your own business, it’s good to have something to hold on to if the situation repeats.”
Urte is dreaming about the day she will come back to roaming the skies. “I’m sure there will be a day when I’m going to come back and I will rock that day.”