CHAPTER I--FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
SUBCHAPTER G--AIR CARRIERS AND OPERATORS FOR COMPENSATION OR HIRE: CERTIFICATION AND OPERATIONS
PART 125—CERTIFICATION AND OPERATIONS: AIRPLANES HAVING A SEATING CAPACITY OF 20 OR MORE PASSENGERS OR A MAXIMUM PAYLOAD CAPACITY OF 6,000 POUNDS OR MORE; AND RULES GOVERNING PERSONS ON BOARD SUCH AIRCRAFT
Subpart H—Airman and Crewmember Requirements
§ 125.269 Flight attendants.
(a) Each certificate holder shall provide at least the following flight attendants on each passenger-carrying airplane used:
(1) For airplanes having more than 19 but less than 51 passengers—one flight attendant.
(2) For airplanes having more than 50 but less than 101 passengers—two flight attendants.
(3) For airplanes having more than 100 passengers—two flight attendants plus one additional flight attendant for each unit (or part of a unit) of 50 passengers above 100 passengers.
(b) The number of flight attendants approved under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section are set forth in the certificate holder's operations specifications.
(c) During takeoff and landing, flight attendants required by this section shall be located as near as practicable to required floor level exits and shall be uniformly distributed throughout the airplane to provide the most effective egress of passengers in event of an emergency evacuation.
These are the FAA regulations which are the same as the JAA regulations. The regulations that are in effect in Hong Kong and I presume many if not most other countries also conform to those above.
In addition,
the limitations section of the AFM for each aircraft type may further specify a minimum number of F/As. For example the Airbus A330/340 specifies one F/A per cabin door (ie 8 F/As). Therefore, a pax load of say, 260 would require 6 F/As for the pax numbers(1 per 50 or part thereof), but the AFM limitations section would still override that and require 8 F/As.
If you can’t man (woman?) all cabin doors, you may find some relief by dispatching under the MEL guidance for a cabin door inop. That would require a reduction in maximum passenger numbers and cabin distribution.
Australia might be thinking about standardising and re-aligning its regulations with the rest of the world.