Air India to hire 500 more cabin-crew staff by May
Disinvestment-bound Air India plans to hire 500 cabin crew members as the national carrier prepares to induct more aircraft and meet new regulatory requirements. Various requirements include complying with aviation regulator DGCA's revised norms wherein an airline should have a higher number of such staff. More cabin crew would be required as AI is inducting more aircraft, like A320 Neos, soon. Here's more.
Flights now need to have more cabin crew: Official
"Directorate General of Civil Aviation has put in place new norms...flights, particularly on the ultra-long-haul routes should have higher number of cabin crew," said an AI official. The official added, "We are also expanding our operations by adding new aircraft such as the B777s and A320Neos." In addition, the normal attrition has also necessitated the hiring of the cabin crew, said the official.
Need 163 men, 337 women on fixed-term engagement basis
According to a public notice, the airline is looking to hire 500 male/female cabin-crew staff for its Northern, Delhi, and Western regions on a "fixed-term engagement basis". The appointment would initially be for five years and to maintain a "waitlist for future requirements." The airline plans to recruit 163 males and 337 females. Of the total vacancy, 270 are reserved for the ST/SC/OBC candidates.
Hired cabin crew last in 2016
It was in 2016 when Air India had last hired cabin crew when it took on board 800 fresh faces in one of the largest hiring exercises in the industry. The national carrier has 3,500 cabin crew members at present.
AI operates 534 flights every day along with Alliance Air
As part of the turnaround plan, Air India has been taking various measures, including rationalization of routes and enhanced utilization of aircraft. AI and its regional-arm Alliance Air operate around 534 daily flights to domestic and international destinations. Of these, 34 flights are operated daily on ultra-long-haul routes like New Delhi-San Francisco, Hyderabad-New Delhi-Chicago, New Delhi-Washington, New Delhi-New York, and Mumbai-Newark, among others.
New recruitees to join duty by May
Air India plans to recruit these 500 cabin crew members by early next fiscal, the official said adding, "Since we are hiring only trained staff, we hope them to join the duties by April-May."
AI's debt stood at Rs. 48,000cr in 2016-17
The government is working out the modalities for a strategic stake sale in the loss-making national airline, Air India, which reported a net loss of Rs. 5,765.16 crore in the last fiscal. The airline's total debt stood at Rs. 48,447.37 crore in 2016-17, including Rs. 17,359.61 crore towards aircraft acquisitions and working capital loan of Rs. 31,087.76 crore.
CCEA approves strategic disinvestment in Air India
In Jun'17, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had given an in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment in AI and its five subsidiaries. A panel of ministers, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, was constituted. The panel would decide on hiving off certain assets to a shell company, the entities to be offered for sale during bidding process, quantum of disinvestment, and the universe of bidders.
