TransAsia Airways Corp (復興航空), one of the nation’s three listed airlines, is expected to recruit a record number of flight attendants this year as it continues its route expansion plans.
More than 1,000 applicants showed up yesterday to vie for 95 flight attendant positions during the airlines’ first recruitment drive in Taipei, it said, adding that 4.8 percent of the jobseekers were master’s degree holders.
With the airline holding another hiring session in Greater Kaohsiung tomorrow, the total number of applicants could reach 3,000, a record in the company’s history, with an estimated acceptance rate of 3 percent, TransAsia said.
Photo: Tseng Hung-ju, Taipei
The carrier initiated its first big-scale recruitment program this year by hiring 75 crewmembers, its largest in three years. A total of 1,600 applicants applied for the positions, with an acceptance rate of 4.7 percent, company data showed.
The demand for flight attendants is high as the carrier is on track to offer more flights and routes in Asia. Moreover, it is scheduled to accept delivery of an A330-300 wide-body aircraft from France’s Airbus in November.
TransAsia is offering an entry-level salary of at least NT$40,000 (US$1,360) per month, with new recruits undergoing a nine-month training program before going on board.
Attitude and linguistic abilities are two major considerations in selecting applicants, the carrier said.
While many might be motivated by dreams of flight, the stiff competition is also a reflection of the nation’s rising unemployment rate and low salaries.
The nation’s unemployment rate last month rose to its highest level since August last year, 4.31 percent, according to the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS).
The jobless rate for young people aged 15 to 24 stood at 12.96 percent — the highest level among all groups, the DGBAS said.
As for salaries, workers — including regular employees and independent workers — aged below 30 earned an average of NT$416,000 last year, also the lowest among all income groups, DGBAS statistics showed.
Despite perceptions of a slowing economy, 104 Job Bank (104人力銀行) said earlier this month that the demand for new workers might recover in November and December because of increased hiring in domestic consumer-oriented industries in the service sector.
In related news, Singapore-based low-cost airline Scoot started operations in Taiwan yesterday, making it the 10th foreign low-cost carrier to service Taiwan.
Scoot’s inaugural flight arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 5:40am from Singapore, with one-way fares ranging from NT$2,500 to NT$4,000, depending on the time of the week.
Scoot will operate three Singapore-Taiwan services per week until Oct. 28, after which daily flights will become available.
Additional reporting by CNA
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