Airlines swamped with cabin crew applicants

The right fit: The height of applicants for cabin crew jobs being measured during a recruitment session for Hainan Airlines in Beijing. The airline says it has already received more than 20,000 applications. — Reuters

BEIJING: Chinese airlines undertaking the biggest hiring drives in more than three years as travel rebounds are facing a deluge of applicants for cabin crew roles as fresh university graduates turn to the relatively high-paying career in a bleak job market.

In contrast to Western countries, where cabin crew roles are relatively low-paid and mostly do not require a university degree, becoming a flight attendant in China typically requires a bachelor’s degree and preferably passing a challenging government-administered English test.