【Aviation】 It’s a good time to join the aviation services industry
Introducing the work of Ground Crew and Flight Attendants!
Since the full resumption of cross-border travel in the Hong Kong aviation industry in early last year, the air traffic at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has been steadily recovering after experiencing multiple waves of revenge travel. To meet the increasing demand for aviation services, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) organized the "Airport Youth Career Day" in July last year, offering over 3,000 job vacancies in the aviation industry, with the shortage of ground staff is particularly severe, and the authorities are hoping to address the serious manpower shortage through importation of labour.
Requirements for Airline Service Jobs
In view of the rapid increase in the demand for airline service crew, those who enjoy travelling and learning new things may consider joining the ground crew or flight attendants, both are challenging positions. They have to deal with unexpected situations every day and cope with different problems within a short period of time. Those who are interested in joining the industry should possess adaptability and stress resistance. In addition, interpersonal skills, communication skills, presentation skills, professional knowledge and service skills are also essential to build up good communication with travelers.
The Work of Ground Crew
Ground crew mainly work on the airport premises and are responsible for the ground operations of flights. The positions can be divided into two parts: Ground Handlers in the Departure Hall (landside, non-restricted area) are required to handle boarding procedures for passengers at the check-in counters, such as checking documents, weighing luggage, allocating seats, and printing boarding passes, etc. On the other hand, Ground Handlers in the Restricted Area (Airside) are required to assist travelers/transit travelers at boarding gates, handle boarding/transit procedures, and address special requests such as travelling with infants and wheelchair services to ensure all passengers can board smoothly and the plane can depart on time. The ground staff, no matter station at landside or airside, need to handle passengers’ queries and requests, provide flight information, and participate in security screening tasks, such as checking passengers' passports and/or boarding passes to ensure compliance with identity regulations.
The Work of Flight Attendants
Flight attendants work primarily on aircraft and play a critical role in ensuring safety and providing services to passengers (travelers) in the aircraft cabin including demonstrating the use of safety equipment to passengers, providing food and beverage services, ensuring compliance with safety standards, offering travel and destination information, writing flight logs and reports, and are required to undergo specialized and rigorous safety training. The training includes emergency response, provision of first aid skills, and assisting passengers in evacuating the aircraft during critical situations to ensure the safety of passenger on board.
Prospects of Hong Kong's Aviation industry
In accordance with the figures released by the Airport Authority Hong Kong, passenger number and flight movements both reached new post-pandemic heights in December 2023. During the Christmas peak, daily passenger volume even recovered to 80% of pre-pandemic level. All passenger segments experienced significant growth with traffic to and from Southeast Asia, Mainland China and Taiwan. It is expected that airport passenger traffic will fully recover to pre-pandemic level, with approximately 70 million passengers, by the end of 2024.
With the increasing desire of Hong Kong residents to travel abroad, the Hong Kong government are going to organize a number of mega events to attract foreign tourists, and the continuous improvement of transportation infrastructure connecting Hong Kong to the Mainland, it is beneficial for Hong Kong International Airport to play a key role as an international and regional aviation hub. In addition to the commissioned new Third Runway, there are planned projects for the Three-Runway System (3RS) target to complete in 2024 (includes construction of the Third Runway, expansion of the Terminal 2 (T2), construction of the T2 Concourse, reconfiguration of the Centre Runway, and the construction and installation of airport-related infrastructure and systems, facilities and equipment, etc.) These developments will significantly increase the airport's passenger and cargo capacity to handle 120 million passengers and 10 million tonnes of cargo annually. It is also necessary to pay close attention to factors that may potentially affect the future development of Hong Kong's aviation industry, such as the dynamics of the global tourism and aviation industry, economic conditions, competitive landscape, as well as the changes in the political and economic environment of Hong Kong.
HKCT Higher Diploma programmes related to airline and hospitality:
Higher Diploma in Tourism Management (Airline Services)
Higher Diploma in Tourism Management (Hospitality)
The programmes above are subsidised under Study Subsidy Scheme for Designated Professions/Sectors (SSSDP). In the 2024/25 academic year, a subsidy of up to $22,910 per academic year will be provided to each eligible local student admitted to this non-laboratory-based programme.
