The carrier plans to bolster the number of Mandarin-speaking cabin crew members from two to four on each flight that connects cities on the Chinese mainland with London. — China Daily
SHANGHAI: British Airways will double the size of its cabin crew in China, undertaking the largest international recruitment since the Covid-19 pandemic, the United Kingdom flag carrier says, as it bets on growing travel demand between China and Europe.
The carrier plans to bolster the number of Mandarin-speaking cabin crew members from two to four on each flight that connects cities on the Chinese mainland with London.
The company has finalised the list of candidates. The new employees are expected to complete six weeks of training in London and start work early this northern hemisphere summer.
The airline has expanded the number of flight attendants at its bases in Beijing and Shanghai, each from 25 to 50. China is now the second-largest international base for British Airways after India.
“We are committed to China and would like to serve this really important market,” said Calum Laming, British Airways’ chief customer officer, who visited Beijing recently to interview candidates. “China is growing, and we definitely want to be part of that.”
“We have already seen a strong leisure travel demand in summer 2023 between China and the United Kingdom.
“We are seeing great signs of recovery in business travel, too. We are looking at strong travel demand in the upcoming Chinese New Year period,” Laming added.
Laming worked as a flight attendant at the operations centre in the early stages of his career, and said he genuinely believes in the value of his employees.
The newly recruited employees in China come from various sectors, such as aviation, hotels and retail, and comprise a mix of experienced as well as inexperienced staff.
British Airways said its global capacity has recovered to 90% of pre-pandemic levels, and the corresponding figure for China has rebounded to 65%.
The carrier is taking deliveries of new aircraft and retiring older models as it embraces increased travel demand.
The airline operates daily flights connecting London and Shanghai, while the flights that connect London and Beijing operate four times a week. — China Daily/ANN
