Airline Expansion And Recruitment For 2010

Airline Expansion And Recruitment For 2010

With the global economic crisis seemingly a distant memory, airlines around the world are positioning themselves for dominance, both regionally and on a global level.

In the Middle East, the big three, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, for years a source of lucrative employment for expatriate pilots, cabin crew and engineers, have orders totaling a massive 430 wide bodies alone. Further south in the Pacific Rim orders are a respectable 240 airframes.

And then there is Abu Dhabi, home to eight percent of the world’s oil reserves comes an emerging super airline in the form of Etihad Airways. Etihad faces the daunting prospect of crewing and maintaining its colossal order of 106 wide body airframes.

So what does all this mean for airline recruitment over the coming years. It is estimated that the middle east will have to source approximately 5000 pilots alone and as many as 20,000 cabin crew if they stand any chance of crewing their orders.

Australian based Jetstar, the low cost Asia Pacific offshoot of Qantas Airways has publicly announced that in 2010 alone it plans to recruit 180 pilots.

Where will these crew come from? Most pilots and engineers will be lured to the middle east from national carriers and the military with the promise of tax free income, company provided accommodation, substantial medical and schooling benefits and if that’s not enough, accelerated promotions.

Whilst aircrew and engineers punch holes in their keyboards updating their applications they should be aware that competition remains tough. Most of the giants of the industry have been dormant on the recruitment front following the turbulent and uncertainty of the previous financial years. This has led to an ever-growing pool of qualified applicants waiting in the wings.

But, does that mean that every qualified candidate is guaranteed a job? Not in today’s marketplace. With technical based interviews virtually a thing of the past applicants are now faced with the unfamiliar prospect of a behavioral based interview.

To the highly qualified but under prepared potential recruit breaking through the HR departments endless barrage of seemingly pointless questions has led many to a one-way ticket home pondering what went wrong.

Whilst the future is bright for aircrew and engineers alike it’s more than ever the case that the best prepared applicant receives the golden phone call.

Prepare well and the rewards will follow.

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