Jamshedpur/Ranchi, Oct. 16: The ripple effect of layoffs in the aviation industry has clipped wings of many aspiring air hostesses.

Aspiring air hostesses eyeing Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines, the two major private players in the aviation industry, are now reworking on their career options.

“The news of job cuts came as a shock to me. The crisis unfolded while I am already pursuing the course, putting in my best effort and dreaming of getting into one of those airlines. In fact, it is everybody’s wish to become a part of Jet Airways or Kingfisher. However, I have not lost heart and will still look for other opportunities,” said Ravi Shankar, a student of the Air Hostess Academy.

There has been an increasing demand for aviation courses in the steel city over the years. Three air hostess training institutes — Frankfinn, Air Hostess Academy (AHA) and Flying Cats — are operating in the steel city for aspiring air hostesses.

Parents of the students are a worried lot. For, several of them have taken bank loans to fulfil their children’s dreams.

“My father has taken a loan but he is not sure whether I will be able to get a decent job that will help him repay the loan. I know I will make it somewhere, so I am trying to make my parents understand that we have other opportunities,” said Madhavi Singh, a student of Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training.

Meanwhile, the centre heads of the institutes have been asking the students to calm down as they expect everything to be in place in near future.

Some, like the Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training, have also agreed to make arrangements for interviews if they get calls from students who have lost their jobs.

“This is not the fault of the aviation industry but is happening because of the economic recession. It happened with IT industries and many others but the situation will not remain like this for long. Although we have not got any call or information whether our students have lost jobs, we will try to place them in other airlines or other sectors if such a thing happens,” said Ravi Shankar Roy, the centre head of Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training.

The centre head of AHA, Albert Lakra, echoed him.

Some students, however, feel that their hospitality training has enabled them to pick up skills that may be used in other sectors if the aviation industry is hit.

“I wanted to be an air hostess but if there is a problem my career will not end. We can look forward to the hospitality sector, too. For every dark cloud has a silver lining,” said Damandeep Kaur, a student of the Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training.

But the uncertainty of employment after paying such high course fee is a sore point for many.

Nitesh Kumar, who is pursuing aviation hospitality and travel tourism management course at Frankfinn in Ranchi, said he had not been guaranteed cent per cent placement even after paying such an exorbitant amount for the course.

Kumar alleged that he could not leave the course midway, as the money invested would not be returned. “I need to decide early after consulting my parents whether to pursue the course or quit halfway,” he added.

Another student, Rita Mishra, said that she had coughed up Rs 1.25 lakh for a one-year course.

“But I do not wish to waste my money and have decided to complete the course. Dar to lag raha hain ki humlog ka future ka kya hoga (I am worried about my future),” she said.

However, Sameer Walia, the vice-president, corporate communications, media and advertising at Frankfinn, Delhi, held out hope.

He told The Telegraph that this was just a temporary phase, which would eventually settle down.

“In the long run, the crisis will prove profitable for students. Though it is a setback at present, there is no need to panic,” said Walia from the institute’s head office in Delhi.