Etihad Airways to hire more cabin crew ahead of A380 redeployment

Airline will begin its global recruitment drive this month

Yanjuan Sun, left, cabin manager and hospitality trainer at Etihad Airways. The airline is recruiting more cabin crew as it plans to return four of its 10 A380 superjumbos to the fleet this summer. Victor Besa / The NationalShow less

Etihad Airways will soon begin a new global recruitment drive for 2023 in search of cabin crew, ahead of the planned return of its Airbus A380 superjumbos in the summer as travel demand continues to grow.

The airline will be hiring candidates from across the world in January, from its home base in Abu Dhabi to cities in Europe and Asia as it continues to grow amid a surge in passenger demand, the airline said on Monday.

"If you’re interested in a flying career then there is no better place to start than here," said Nadia Bastaki, Etihad's chief human resources, organisational development and asset management officer.

"Those who are selected will be able to experience different cultures, visit wonderful destinations and grow their career within Etihad."

The move comes after the Gulf carrier pledged to return four of its 10 A380s to the skies, rethinking its earlier plans to ground the double-deckers indefinitely, as travel demand surged across its network.

The UAE airline plans to use four of its superjumbos in the summer on flights to London Heathrow, freeing up capacity for increased frequencies on existing routes and the launch of new destinations, it said.

Etihad is preparing the aircraft to fly again, which will require the recruitment and training of pilots, cabin crew and technical ground staff.

Etihad Airways will hold recruitment drives for cabin crew throughout January 2023 in Madrid, Dublin, Istanbul, Bratislava, Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Etihad

Under Etihad Airways' hiring plan for this month, recruitment managers will seek out candidates in Kuala Lumpur, Abu Dhabi, Dublin, Bratislava, Istanbul and Madrid.

This follows recruitment drives held in Doha last week and in Lisbon on January 9, according to the airline.

Applicants must bring their CVs to the open days and shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview the next day, the carrier said. Successful candidates will join a comprehensive training programme in Abu Dhabi.

Cabin crew are provided with fully furnished accommodation in Abu Dhabi, a "competitive" salary, medical insurance and travel benefits for their friends and family, the airline said. They will also get discounts on food and beverages as well as leisure activities in the UAE capital.

A look inside Etihad's training and recruitment

The latest hiring round follows recruitment drives at Etihad Airways in late 2021 and 2022 as the airline seeks to expand operations in response to the travel rebound after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Globally, the airline passenger business is expected to generate revenue of $522 billion this year, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Passenger demand is expected to reach 85.5 per cent of 2019 levels over the course of 2023, it said in its latest forecast.

Passenger numbers are expected to surpass the four-billion mark for the first time since 2019, with 4.2 billion travellers expected to fly this year.

Yields, however, are expected to soften by 1.7 per cent as somewhat lower energy costs are passed through to passengers, despite demand growing more quickly (21.1 per cent) than capacity (18 per cent), Iata said.