What must FAs report immediately if equipment is missing or inoperative?

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When a piece of equipment is missing or not working, safety decisions fall under the captain’s responsibility for the flight. Flight attendants must report such issues immediately to the captain because the captain is the person in charge of the aircraft’s operation, able to assess whether the flight can proceed under any applicable MEL (Minimum Equipment List) provisions, and to coordinate with maintenance and operations to arrange repairs or delays. The captain can determine if a delay, alternate plans, or other safety measures are needed. While maintenance control may be involved in arranging fixes, the initial report of the issue goes to the captain to trigger the correct safety actions.