Etihad Airways will expand its search for cabin crew to countries in Europe, Asia and Africa over the next eight weeks, after its recruitment drive in Dubai attracted thousands of applicants.
The Abu Dhabi-based airline's recruiters will meet candidates in more than half a dozen countries around the world, including the UK, Italy, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, South Africa and Thailand, an Etihad representative told The National on Tuesday.
Etihad Airway's recruitment drive in Dubai on Monday attracted more than 5,000 cabin crew candidates, the representative said. Selected applicants will be invited to attend assessment days on June 14 and June 15.
“We are extremely proud of our cabin crew … and look forward to growing our team as our business rebounds,” the representative said.
Etihad Airways has been in the process of hiring an additional 1,000 employees, from cabin crew to ground staff. At the end of 2021, Etihad's total workforce stood at 12,533 employees.
The airline is expanding its workforce as it ramps up operations in response to a rebound in air travel demand, expectations of a busy summer season and the addition of new Airbus A350 jets to its fleet.
The airline expects to deliver a strong performance in the first half of 2022 on higher load factors, strong passenger yields, solid cargo business and lower costs, Tony Douglas, chief executive of the Etihad Aviation Group, told The National in May.
The airline is currently operating three Airbus A350s, after the aircraft's maiden flight on March 31, and plans to introduce two additional A350s into service by the end of the year, Mr Douglas said.
The global aviation industry is recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic that dented demand for air travel, forcing airlines to ground aircraft and lay off workers.
Now the industry is facing the challenge of rehiring staff fast enough to meet a rebound in demand as travel restrictions are eased.
Efforts to lure employees to an industry badly affected by the virus for two years has been difficult and complicated.
Job losses and wage cuts have forced aviation workers to look for more stable jobs in other industries, leading to a short supply of qualified and well-trained staff.
The staff shortage is worsened by the long time it takes to train workers and the bottleneck for security clearances as the airline industry prepares for the peak northern summer season.
Training and security clearance for new staff can take more than six months, according to the International Air Transport Association (Iata).
“'We are in a battle for talent. And as we try to rebuild our industry, it is important that we become more attractive, particularly more attractive to women,” Iata director general Willie Walsh said at the Changi Aviation Summit in May.
“This industry has always been seen as a male-dominated industry, we need to change that to ensure that we can not just attract but also to retain the best talent in the industry so that we can build on the progress that we have made and ensure that we have a sustainable financial business and a sustainable environmental business for the future.”
Understaffing at airlines and airports has contributed to long queues and flight disruptions, frustrating travellers and overwhelming airlines.
Staffing shortages could become the industry's Achilles' heel, forcing airlines to cut capacity and hampering their ability to serve the stronger-than-expected rebound in travel demand, according to Moody's Investors Service.
In the first quarter of this year, travel demand has recovered to 48 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, Iata said. In some parts of the world, including Europe, North America and Latin America, the recovery has reached about 60 per cent.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20Color%20Purple
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Ajax v Real Madrid, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh960,000
Engine 3.9L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Power 661hp @8,000rpm
Torque 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.4L / 100k
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
INDIA SQUAD
Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
SHAITTAN
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Korean Film Festival 2019 line-up
Innocent Witness, June 26 at 7pm
On Your Wedding Day, June 27 at 7pm
The Great Battle, June 27 at 9pm
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, June 28 at 4pm
Romang, June 28 at 6pm
Mal Mo E: The Secret Mission, June 28 at 8pm
Underdog, June 29 at 2pm
Nearby Sky, June 29 at 4pm
A Resistance, June 29 at 6pm
I Care A Lot
Directed by: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage
3/5 stars
The Intruder
Director: Deon Taylor
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good
One star
Rocketman
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Pakistan v New Zealand Test series
Pakistan: Sarfraz (c), Hafeez, Imam, Azhar, Sohail, Shafiq, Azam, Saad, Yasir, Asif, Abbas, Hassan, Afridi, Ashraf, Hamza
New Zealand: Williamson (c), Blundell, Boult, De Grandhomme, Henry, Latham, Nicholls, Ajaz, Raval, Sodhi, Somerville, Southee, Taylor, Wagner
Umpires: Bruce Oxerford (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG); TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS); Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
Tickets and schedule: Entry is free for all spectators. Gates open at 9am. Play commences at 10am
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
The%20specs
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
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