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New Paper
2 days ago
- Business
- New Paper
Nearly 40 employers offer 450 roles at job fair for retrenched Jetstar Asia staff
Nearly 40 employers from a mix of industries, from aviation and aerospace to public transport and hospitality, have come together in an effort to match retrenched Jetstar Asia employees with new jobs. The job fair at Changi Airport Terminal 1 is open to all Jetstar Asia staff and will run from June 17 to 19. It features more than 450 roles, including positions for pilots, cabin crew, customer service, engineering, and safety and quality assurance, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said on June 18. Jetstar Asia, a Singapore-based low-cost airline, will shut down after more than 20 years in operation, it said on June 11. The airline will continue to operate flights out of Singapore for seven weeks, with a progressively reduced schedule until its final day of operations on July 31. Over 500 Singapore-based employees will be laid off when the airline closes. The Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group said on June 13 that it would create positions for retrenched Jetstar Asia employees across its airlines, including 100 jobs for pilots and 200 jobs for cabin crew. NTUC said SIA and its low-cost arm Scoot are "primarily supporting" the recruitment efforts for pilots and cabin crew and will be at the job fair on all three days. A range of other employers - a total of 38 companies - will be at the job fair on different days, including planemaker Airbus and its aircraft component and service subsidiary Satair, airport operator Changi Airport Group, inflight caterer and ground handler Sats, public transport operator SMRT and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). The job fair aims to provide direct support to Jetstar Asia employees, including career coaching, skills upgrading and employability assistance, and allow them to tap the labour movement's unions for support, NTUC said. In a Facebook post on June 18, labour chief Ng Chee Meng said he had visited the job fair and spoken to retrenched employees at Terminals 1 and 3. "They shared their concerns and uncertainties about what lies ahead, and I completely understand the anxiety that they feel," he said. "I want to assure them that they are not alone." Mr Jerome Tan, 37, who works in flight operations, visited the job fair on June 17. Those affected by the impending closure are "coping with it in their own perspective, speed and pace", he told The Straits Times. Mr Tan, who has worked at Jetstar Asia for nine years, said he has applied for a job at SIA. "I think the common approach would be to (go to) Scoot or SIA" because staff can still be based in Singapore. He added that the job fair had booths where Jetstar Asia staff could scan a QR code to find out more about the roles on offer. While he did not see the closure coming, he said he was taking it in his stride, preferring to see it as a business decision. A cabin crew member who asked not to be named said she was "shocked" when she heard about the airline's decision to stop operations. She was on annual leave at the time. The 24-year-old has worked at Jetstar Asia for nearly three years and applied for cabin crew positions at SIA and Scoot a few days after news of the impending closure. Another member of the cabin crew, who also did not want to be named, said she plans to leave the aviation industry for hotel management. She was in Taiwan when she heard about the airline's impending closure. The job fair was organised by the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation cluster, NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute, the Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers' Union, CAAS and Jetstar Asia. More than 100 employees were at the fair on the first day, with a similar number expected on each of the remaining two days.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Nearly 40 employers offer 450 roles at job fair for retrenched Jetstar Asia staff
Labour chief Ng Chee Meng (in red top) posing for a wefie with a group of Jetstar Asia pilots on June 18. PHOTO: NG CHEE MENG/FACEBOOK SINGAPORE – Nearly 40 employers from a mix of industries, from aviation and aerospace to public transport and hospitality, have come together in an effort to match retrenched Jetstar Asia employees with new jobs. The job fair at Changi Airport Terminal 1 is open to all Jetstar Asia staff and will run from June 17 to June 19. It features more than 450 roles, including pilots, cabin crew, customer service, engineering, and safety and quality assurance, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said on June 18. Jetstar Asia, a Singapore-based low-cost airline, will shut after more than 20 years in operation, it said on June 11. The airline will continue to operate flights out of Singapore for seven weeks, with a progressively reduced schedule until its final day of operations on July 31. Over 500 Singapore-based employees will be laid off when the airline closes. The Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group said on June 13 that it would create positions for retrenched Jetstar Asia employees across its airlines, including 100 jobs for pilots and 200 jobs for cabin crew. NTUC said SIA and its low-cost arm Scoot are 'primarily supporting' the recruitment efforts for pilots and cabin crew, and will be at the job fair on all three days. A range of other employers – 38 companies in total will be at the job fair on different days – include plane-maker Airbus and its aircraft component and service subsidiary Satair, airport operator Changi Airport Group, inflight caterer and ground handler Sats, public transport operator SMRT and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). The job fair aims to provide direct support to Jetstar Asia employees, including career coaching, skills upgrading and employability assistance, and allow them to tap the labour movement's unions for support, said NTUC. In a Facebook post on June 18, labour chief Ng Chee Meng said he had visited the job fair at Terminal 1 to speak to retrenched Jetstar Asia employees. 'They shared their concerns and uncertainties about what lies ahead and I completely understand the anxiety that they feel,' Mr Ng said. 'I want to assure them that they are not alone.' Mr Jerome Tan, 37, who works in flight operations, visited the job fair on June 17. Those affected by the closure of Jetstar Asia are 'coping with it in their own perspective, speed and pace', he told The Straits Times. Mr Tan, who has worked at Jetstar Asia for nine years, said he has applied for a job at SIA. 'I think the common approach would be to (go to) Scoot or SIA' because staff can still be based in Singapore. He added that the job fair had booths where Jetstar Asia staff could scan a QR code to find out more about the roles on offer. While he did not see the closure coming, he said he is not taking it badly, preferring to see it as a business decision. A cabin crew member who asked not to be named said she was 'shocked' when she heard about the airline's decision to stop operations. She was on annual leave at the time. The 24-year-old has worked at Jetstar Asia for nearly three years, and has applied for cabin crew positions at SIA and Scoot a few days after the closure. Another member of the cabin crew, who also did not want to be named, said she plans to leave the aviation industry for hotel management. She was travelling in Taiwan when she heard about the airline's closure. The job fair was organised by the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation cluster, NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute, the Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers' Union, CAAS and Jetstar Asia. More than 100 employees attended on the first day, with a similar number expected on the remaining two days. Vanessa Paige Chelvan is a correspondent at The Straits Times. She writes about all things transport and pens the occasional commentary . Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Business Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
38 employers with 1,400 vacancies at NTUC-led job-matching exercise for Jetstar Asia workers
[SINGAPORE] The labour movement has brought on 38 employers in a job-matching exercise for the over 500 workers laid off by Jetstar Asia after the low-cost carrier announced its closure last week, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said on Wednesday (Jun 18). The three-day exercise, which began on Tuesday and ends on Jun 19, was carried out on the airline's premises. The employers include Singapore Airlines (SIA) group, Airbus Singapore and its subsidiary Satair, Changi Airport Group, dnata, Sats, SIA Engineering Company, Singapore Aircargo Agent Association and members, SMRT and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. NTUC noted that 14 of these employers were onsite at the exercise, which had a 'focus' on employers from the aerospace and aviation sector because of the 'strong alignment between Jetstar Asia workers' profiles and the variety of synergistic job vacancies available in these companies'. In total, there were 450 job roles across 1,400 job vacancies, NTUC said. They feature a variety of key job functions in positions such as pilots, cabin crew, customer service, air hub operations, engineering, safety and quality assurance, as well as corporate roles. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Last Friday, SIA said it will create new roles for the retrenched employees, including 100 for pilots and 200 for cabin crew members. The job-matching exercise is organised by the NTUC Job Security Council and involved the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation cluster, NTUC's Employment and Employability (e2i) Institute, Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers' Union, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Jetstar Asia. NTUC said the exercise allows affected workers to explore employment opportunities with participating employers onsite and online, receive career guidance from e2i career coaches and tap on NTUC's affiliated unions for support. In a Facebook post, labour chief Ng Chee Meng said he met the affected workers at Terminal 1 on Wednesday, and they shared their concerns and uncertainties. 'I completely understand the anxiety that they feel. I want to assure them that they are not alone,' said Ng, who is NTUC secretary-general. He noted that some workers are also considering a move into other sectors, such as hospitality, and added that e2i will offer support through job matching, career coaching and upskilling guidance.
Business Times
13-06-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Emirates to hire 5,000 cabin crew amid expansion drive
[SINGAPORE] Dubai's Emirates airline is looking to hire 5,000 new cabin crew globally this year, with a recruitment roadshow set in Singapore next week, as the group embarks on fleet expansion plans. In a press statement on Friday (Jun 13), Emirates said the hiring spree will span more than 460 cities across six continents. Its invite-only recruitment drive in Singapore will take place on Jun 19, but more are planned throughout the year, with the next one scheduled for Jul 19. As at June 2025, more than 70 members of its 24,000-strong cabin crew were from Singapore. The airline has not set a limit on the number of people hired in Singapore or elsewhere, it said. Emirates is also hiring 1,550 new pilots within the next two years, with more than 550 recruited this year, it said last month. The recruitment drive follows its push to expand its network and fleet. Last November, the airline received the first of 65 Airbus A350-900 jets it had ordered. This was also the first new aircraft type to join its fleet since 2008. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Emirates has since retrofitted a slew of A380s and rolled out these refreshed aircraft to Bangkok, Hong Kong and Perth, among other destinations. It also launched more daily non-stop flights within Asia, with services in Da Nang, Vietnam; Shenzhen, China; and Siem Reap, Cambodia. The airline said it also has 59 A350 jets and a mix of 205 Boeing 777-9 and 777-8 aircraft in its order book. 'The new aircraft will expand the airline's reach and provide flexibility to add new routes to its network,' it added. Jetstar shutdown Emirates' hiring spree comes on the heels of Jetstar Asia's shutdown, which saw more than 500 staff laid off in Singapore. Parent company Qantas, Australia's flag carrier, on Wednesday announced that it will wind down the operations of the Singapore-based unit on Jul 31, as rising costs threaten the sustainability of its business. Jetstar Asia's closure affects 16 intra-Asia routes – including flights from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok and Manila – but will not affect Jetstar's operations in Australia, New Zealand or Japan. The budget airline's fleet of 13 Airbus aircraft will be redeployed within the Qantas Group to support growth in Australia and New Zealand. Labour chief Ng Chee Meng has said that the National Trades Union Congress was exploring possible opportunities to match retrenched Jetstar Asia employees, including crew and corporate staff, to suitable roles within the Singapore Airlines Group. SIA and its budget arm, Scoot, also said they will ramp up flights to various Asian destinations after Jetstar Asia ceases operations.
New Paper
11-06-2025
- Business
- New Paper
NTUC exploring options to match retrenched Jetstar Asia staff to roles at SIA Group
NTUC is exploring possible opportunities to match retrenched Jetstar Asia employees, including crew and corporate staff, to suitable roles with the Singapore Airlines Group, said labour chief Ng Chee Meng. Over 500 employees from Jetstar Asia will be retrenched following the closure of the Singapore-based low-cost airline on July 31. In a Facebook post on June 11, Mr Ng said that the NTUC Aerospace and Aviation Cluster will work with Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Changi Airport Group to identify opportunities for the affected employees as well. He said: "The news of Jetstar Asia's closure is a hit for the many employees of the airline. They have contributed much to the airline over the years." He added that the NTUC and Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers' Union (SMMWU) were informed of the retrenchments in advance, and SMMWU has been working closely with Jetstar Asia to support the workers. The retrenchment benefits provided are in line with the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Excess Manpower and Responsible Retrenchment, but support goes beyond just financial compensation, Mr Ng added. Starting next week, NTUC and NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute will be on-site at Changi Airport Terminal 1 to provide direct support, including career coaching, skills upgrading, and employability assistance, he said. In a statement on June 11, Jetstar Asia said it will support workers with retrenchment packages, employment support, or provide them with other opportunities within the Qantas group or with other airlines and aviation companies in Singapore. The airline's closure is part of a "strategic restructure" by its parent company, Australian flag carrier Qantas. Retrenched employees will receive a redundancy payment of four weeks per year of service, a bonus for this financial year, a special 'thank you' payment as well as other benefits. In a separate statement, the Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers' Union (SMMWU) said it has worked closely with management and negotiated with the company to ensure that affected members and workers receive fair compensation. SMMWU is affiliated with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). Jetstar Asia has been unionised since 2009. An inter-agency task force on retrenchment said in a separate statement that it is working closely with Jetstar and the SMMWU to support the affected workers. Called the Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation, it comprises the Ministry of Manpower, Workforce Singapore, the NTUC and the NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute. "Our priority is to help the affected employees with employment facilitation, said the taskforce in a statement.
