Air traffic flourishes
Increasing demand: The country needs new pilots
Air traffic is booming again, and there is now a massive search for new staff in the industry. At AUA alone, around 700 employees are to be recruited this year, including many pilots. Meanwhile, Emirates is luring people to the desert with princely wages and special extras.
Global air traffic continues to grow strongly - more people flew in 2024 than ever before. The industry has thus finally put the slump caused by the coronavirus pandemic behind it.
Aviation industry is booming
Passenger numbers have also risen by ten percent compared to 2023. And: airplanes were more fully booked than ever before - 83.5% of the seats on offer were occupied. This was reported by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). By 2030, 5.64 billion passengers are expected to be using global air traffic - an increase of more than 30 percent compared to 2018. No wonder there is now a desperate search for new staff.
10,000 new employees - 800 new pilots wanted
The German AUA parent company Lufthansa alone wants to recruit around 10,000 new employees this year, including around 800 pilots. Lufthansa Technik is looking for over 2,000 employees. Austrian Airlines is also looking for around 700 employees for 2025, including flight attendants and many pilots. The future prospects for prospective professional pilots could hardly be better. At the same time, more than 650 jobs have been cut at the red-white-red airline by 2023. How does this fit together?
In response to an inquiry from Austrian, the company told Krone that natural fluctuation (e.g. maternity leave, retirements and corresponding replacements) accounts for around half of these 700 hires (300 to 400). In addition, many positions can also be filled via internal movements.
More interested parties than vacancies
One person who has already made the leap into the AUA cockpit is Max Beichl. The 24-year-old works as a first officer (co-pilot) on an Embraer 195, a short-haul aircraft. What does he like about his special job? "The great view! No, without the fun. I'm particularly fascinated by working with so many different people who are all passionate about the same thing and make our work possible in the first place," says the Vienna native. The location, environment and working atmosphere at Austrian were the best match for his wishes. By the way, no general information is given on the starting salary in the AUA cockpit, as various factors (bonuses, previous knowledge, experience) are also taken into account. However, there are always more applicants than there are vacancies. In any case, applicants are faced with a very selective selection process.
Other vacancies at Austrian are in operational areas such as engineering or ground staff. Max Fleischmann, for example, is currently in his first year of training at Austrian Airlines Technik. "Aviation has fascinated me from a young age. I always wanted to know and understand how an aircraft weighing hundreds of tons can take off safely, cover extreme distances and then land safely again," says the 20-year-old.
There is also a renewed need for new cabin crew. The first basic course started at the end of January 2025 - after a long time. Todor Lehner (26), for example, became a flight attendant as a career changer and has been flying around the world ever since. "Even as a young boy, I was interested in flying itself and, above all, everything that happens in the cabin before, during and after a flight. I studied health and nursing sciences at the University of Applied Sciences and also worked as a dance teaching assistant - the interaction with people was always at the forefront," says Lehner.
Emirates uses these extras to lure staff into the cockpit
Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, is also urgently looking for new pilots. With a fleet of more than 260 aircraft, the airline based in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) is the tenth largest in the world. After a severe economic crisis, also as a result of the Covid pandemic, the state-owned airline is expanding its flight schedules and fleet capacities again in order to meet the increased demand for international flights.
It currently employs more than 4,400 pilots, who fly the most modern fleet in the world - currently still Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. In the coming years, the airline expects to take delivery of 65 brand new Airbus A350s. The route network flies to a total of more than 140 destinations, almost all of them long-haul. In 2023, the airline recruited more than 420 pilots. In 2024, the recruitment team organized roadshows in over 26 cities - and in over 18 countries. This is because the new employees are mainly recruited abroad. In return, Emirates' cockpit staff are among the best trained and best paid in the industry.
Chauffeur, tax-free salary, villas and up to 42 days' vacation
What almost sounds like an aviation fairy tale is real at the Gulf airline: tax-free income, generous housing allowances including luxury accommodation. In the first three years, there is also an annual salary of the equivalent of 140,000 euros plus expenses of 1,600 euros per month for meals away from home. After that, an average salary increase of eight percent every three years. There are also up to 42 days' vacation per year and a chauffeur service to and from work. Of course, travel benefits for family and friends are also included. However, you have to accept a life in the sandbox, as all Emirates pilots have their main residence in Dubai.
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