The World's First Steward On The World's First Airline

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In March of 1912, DELAG instituted a new service aboard its airships. Anticipating that the airline would shortly begin regular intercity air service in Germany (it already was providing limited flights on a trial basis) and that this would invariably grow into international and even transoceanic service, DELAG hired the world's first Flight Attendant, a Steward named Heinrich Kubis.

Stewards and Stewardesses had been a critical part of the steamship lines' crews for many years, but Kubis was the first flying Steward the world ever saw. Kubis worked alone on his earliest flights since the number of passengers aboard rarely exceeded 25; but his attentions were so much in demand that other Stewards were hired (no one called them Flight Attendants in those days).

Kubis ultimately became the head of DELAG's Passenger Services Department, in charge of stewards and stewardesses, baggage handlers, chefs, and other personnel. He flew on every ship the line had, and ended his career on the Hindenburg (LZ-129).

In the photograph, Kubis is the tall, thin mustachio'd man in the dark jacket; the ship is the Graf Zeppelin (LZ-127).