Qantas said today (22 February) it would hire 900 new long haul flight attendants by the end of 2008 in the first phase of its largest ever cabin crew recruitment drive. The Chief Executive Officer of Qantas, Mr Geoff Dixon, said the airline would continue to build its full- time flight attendant numbers through to 2010 to cater for the airline's growth.

 

"By the end of 2010, we will have around 2,000 new flight attendants flying on our international fleet of A380, B747 and A330 aircraft," he said.

Mr Dixon said Qantas' subsidiary company Qantas Cabin Crew Australia (QCCA) was currently processing thousands of applications from a wide range of candidates.

He said the new jobs were the direct result of the landmark EBA agreement reached with the Flight Attendants Association of Australia (FAAA) International Division last year.

"The competitive terms and conditions negotiated under the EBA have enabled us to create these new positions."

Mr Dixon said the new flight attendants would be based in Sydney and Melbourne, where they would undergo six weeks' initial training in superior customer service and hospitality skills, security, medical and emergency procedures, and product knowledge.