What is the minimum number of flight attendants required with 97 passengers aboard on an airplane with a capacity of 149 seats?

The minimum number of flight attendants required on an aircraft is determined by regulatory requirements, typically set by aviation authorities like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). According to the FAA regulations, the standard rule is that for the first 50 passengers, at least one flight attendant is required, and for every additional 50 passengers or fraction thereof, an additional flight attendant is needed.

In this scenario, you have a total of 97 passengers. The calculation proceeds as follows:

1. The first 50 passengers require one flight attendant.

2. The next 47 passengers (because 97 - 50 = 47) still fall within the range that requires only one additional flight attendant, as they do not exceed another set of 50.

Thus, the total requirement comes to two flight attendants for up to 100 passengers (in 50 passenger increments). This satisfies the regulatory guidelines, but you should also consider operational factors—for instance, a minimum of three flight attendants is commonly preferred for safety and service efficiency reasons when carrying nearly 100 passengers.

Therefore, while two flight attendants meet the regulatory minimum, three is often the standard in practice for better service and safety, making it the correct choice contextually for a situation with 97 passengers.