Airline Staff Numbers Increase for the First Time Since COVID-19

31,192 in Q1, up 309 from last year
"T'way Air leads with 200 more personnel"

The number of employees at domestic airlines increased for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. This is due to recruitment efforts aligned with the expansion of international routes and the increase in passenger demand since last year.

On the 17th, a summary of the quarterly reports from airlines listed on the stock market, including Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, T'way Air, Jin Air, and Air Busan, showed that the total number of airline employees in the first quarter of this year was 34,501. This is an increase of 309 compared to 34,192 at the end of last year.

This marks the first time the number of airline employees has turned upward since the full onset of COVID-19. The number of airline employees, which was 37,230 in 2019, steadily decreased to 36,063 in 2020 and 34,874 in 2021 due to the sharp decline in passenger demand caused by COVID-19. However, as international flights resumed in earnest from last year, airlines began to replenish their workforce again. As a result, airline personnel increased for the first time in over three years.

Among the airlines, T'way Air saw the largest increase in personnel. T'way Air had 2,478 employees in the first quarter of this year, up 203 from 2,275 at the end of last year. They conducted two large-scale cabin crew recruitments starting in the second half of last year due to the resumption of international flights and the introduction of new aircraft. They also increased staff in maintenance and general positions.

Next is Korean Air, which increased by 78 employees from 17,746 last year to 17,824 in the first quarter of this year. Korean Air completed recruitment for cabin crew and general positions at the end of last year. Following them were Jeju Air (62 employees) and Jin Air (54 employees), which also saw increases in employee numbers. All these airlines conducted regular or new recruitments within the past year.

Going forward, new hiring by airlines is expected to become more active. All listed airlines turned profitable in the first quarter of this year, improving the situation. Additionally, some airlines plan to introduce new aircraft in response to increasing passenger demand. Personnel will be needed to operate the newly introduced aircraft. Korean Air plans to add 16 aircraft this year, Jeju Air plans to add 5 including cargo planes, and Jin Air plans to add 2 more aircraft.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.