Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is hosting a major recruitment event with the aim of hiring almost 6,000 new employees.
The three-day HKIA Job Expo 2012 opens today (Friday 3 August), showcasing more than 5,900 job vacancies offered by 50 companies operating within the airport. This is the largest industry-focused recruitment expo undertaken by Hong Kong’s Labour Department in recent years.
“The future development of the aviation industry and other sectors of the Hong Kong economy is closely related and reinforces each other. It is therefore vital to maintain and enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub because it is extremely important to Hong Kong’s long term development. Aviation development and in particular, airport development, concerns everyone,” said Professor Anthony Cheung, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Transport & Housing.
The vacancies at the expo cover a variety of roles, including cabin services, aircraft maintenance, air cargo, airport security, cleaning, baggage handling, retail sales, technician, engineering, catering and property management. Monthly salaries on offer range from HK$7,000 to HK$45,000 (US$900-5,800).
“Given a buoyant job market in Hong Kong, the aviation industry is in constant demand for manpower. I believe this job expo serves as an ideal platform for our business partners to recruit right talents to cater to their operational needs,” said Stanley Hui Hon-chung, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK).
“The prospect of the aviation industry is promising and robust. To meet the growth demand, we have started the HK$12.4 billion Midfield and West Apron developments, while planning to expand HKIA into a three-runway system. With these projects underway, the industry will continue to play a significant role in Hong Kong’s employment market, and help nurture the youth workforce in Hong Kong,” Hui added.
Earlier this year Cathay Pacific launched its own recruitment drive, aiming to add 1,000 new flight attendants in 2012 alone. HKIA’s air traffic is booming at present. In the first half of 2012 the airport catered to 27.6 million passengers, up 7% year-on-year, while a new single-day record of 194,000 passengers was set on 28n April this year.
