What should flight attendants do if cabin pressure drops unexpectedly?

In the event of an unexpected drop in cabin pressure, flight attendants are trained to immediately activate oxygen masks and notify the flight crew. This is crucial because activating the oxygen masks provides passengers with the necessary oxygen to breathe, ensuring their safety and comfort during a potentially stressful situation. The flight crew can then assess the situation and determine the best course of action, whether it involves fixing the issue or preparing for an emergency landing.

While calming passengers is important, it is secondary to ensuring they have access to oxygen. Attempting to fix the pressure issue manually is not within the flight attendant's role and could endanger both the crew and passengers. Similarly, while preparing emergency landing procedures is part of overall safety protocol, the immediate action of activating oxygen masks and notifying the flight crew takes precedence to address the urgent situation effectively.