Airline jobs: Massive hiring is on amid supercharged rebound in bookings

AIRLINES JOBS RISE AS PASSENGER NUMBERS SOAR: Commercial flights are soaring again in most parts of the world. Airline jobs, meanwhile, are back with a vengeance, with massive re-hiring binge.

BUSY FLIGHT CORRIDORS: Flightradar24, a plane-tracking app, shows aviation corridors across the world are getting busier than ever in this update taken on Wednesday (August 3). There’s been a rush in filling up numerous posts that have suddenly opened — from pilots, flight attendants and aviation mechanics.

RECRUITMENT: Emirates, operator of the world’s largest Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 fleet, is looking to recruit more First Officers, the airline said Wednesday.

PROFITABILITY UP: Etihad Airways is hiring cabin crew members. The Abu Dhabi-based airline reported a record $296 million profit for the first half of 2022, having carried 4.02 million passengers, over 3 million more than last year.

INDUSTRY REVIVAL: Across the travel trade, hiring is going at a feverish pace as the industry tries to keep up with demand. European airlines and airport operators are hiring too. Industry analysts, however, say it may take months before normal levels of service return.

FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT FOR AVIATION. Demand for pilots, technicians, and cabin crew looks bright over the long haul. Boeing estimates that given the on-going recovery, and 41,000 new airplanes to be delivered in the next 20 years, long-term demand for pilots, aviation technicians, cabin crew and ground staff. The US airframe maker’s 2022 outlook forecasts the need for 2.1 million new aviation personnel over the next 20 years to ensure a safe, healthy aviation ecosystem.

KEEPING UP WITH DEMAND: Singapore Airlines, which has posted record $268 million profits a capacity rise to 68% of pre-COVID levels, is hiring more than 1,000 staff.

FROM BRINK OF BANKRUPTCY TO PROFITABILITY: Philippine Airlines, which came from the brink of bankruptcy, hauled in an operating income of $125 million (Php6.6 billion) for the first half 2022. PAL generated $ 1.1 billion (P58.1 billion) in revenues, 258% spike in passenger revenues and a 31% jump in cargo revenues for January to June 2022, as compared to the same period in 2021.

TEMPORARY LIMITS ON PASSENGERS: Due to their inability to hire fast enough to meet the travel rebound, major airports and airlines are cutting thousands of routes. On Monday, London’s Heathrow airport has announced a two-month limit on daily passenger traffic to minimise the turmoil and inconveniences such as stranded luggage.

MANPOWER: Pre-COVID-19, up to 1 million people were flying at any given time, but commercial flights nearly ground to a halt due to pandemic restrictions. As people fly again, the rush has caught many airlines, airports and aviation service providers immediate hiring challenges. Last month (July 2), when Air India held job interviews, the cabin crew of IndiGo didn’t show up for work — en masse — to participate, Indian media reported.

EN ROUTE TO RECOVERY: It’s indicative of an on-going trend in the travel industry soaring back to pre-COVID levels, following two years of virus-driven travel curbs. Massive job cuts in the last two years meant that many parts of the aviation industry are understaffed and are struggling to cope with a surge in demand.