Heinrich Kubis with passengers on LZ-120 Bodensee
The World’s First Flight Attendant
- Name: Heinrich Kubis
- Year: 1912
- Airline: DELAG
- Aircraft: Passenger Zeppelin LZ-10 “Schwaben”
Heinrich Kubis became the world’s first flight attendant in March, 1912, when he began caring for passengers and serving food aboard the DELAG zeppelin LZ-10 Schwaben.
Kubis served as chief steward on all the German passenger zeppelins that followed, including LZ-120 Bodensee (which made regularly scheduled flights between Berlin and Southern Germany in 1919), LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin, and LZ-129 Hindenburg.
Kubis worked alone on the early zeppelins, but there was an assistant steward and cook aboard the 20-passenger Graf Zeppelin, and a team of 10-15 cooks and stewards aboard the 72-passenger Hindenburg.
Heinrich Kubis (standing, dark jacket) in Dining Room of LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin
Kubis was in Hindenburg’s dining room when the ship burst into flame at Lakehurst, New Jersey on May 6, 1937. When the Hindenburg sank close enough to the ground, Kubis encouraged passengers and crew to jump from the windows and jumped to safety himself. Kubis landed without injury and was not hurt in the disaster.
Kubis testified at the inquiry into the Hindenburg disaster and then returned to Germany, where he lived until his death in the 1970s.
Heinrich Kubis (standing, dark jacket) in Dining Room of LZ-129 Hindenburg
Years before heavier-than-air commercial airliners were large enough to accommodate stewards, and 18 years before Ellen Church of United Airlines became the world’s first stewardess, Heinrich Kubis was earning his living in the air as the world’s first flight attendant.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I have a passport signed by Mr Loprete in Argentina. I was five years old , and I Flew to Misiones in one Avro Sandringham or similar. I was given a passport signed by Captain Escudero and Purser Loprete.
In Argentina the first flight attendant was my grandfather, Evaristo Loprete . FAMA airlines merger in 1950 when was created Aerolineas Argentinas
I,m looking for my cousin.Her name was Evelyn Makiel or Makielski.She worked for American Airlines in the ,40s. I sure would like to hear about her.
Dear Dan
Fprgive me if im wrong but wasnt Emilie Imhoff the first air stewardess as youve got Ellen church as the worlds first air stewardess ???
also what happend to your search bar for your site nav there were a few sections that i could only access through your search bar
yours sincerely Jason Wallace
thanks
Emilie Imhof joined the Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei in 1936; Ellen Church began flying for United Airlines in 1930.