German low-cost airline, Eurowings has announced a major recruitment drive with plans to hire at least 400 new cabin crew and 200 pilots. In a press statement, the airline said the move was necessary as it was “currently the fastest growing airline in Europe.”
And boy, Eurowings is not kidding – the airline is already wet-leasing 33 Airbus A320 aircraft from rival (and bankrupt) carrier airberlin to fuel its expansion across Europe. It’s still not clear whether Eurowings will snap up any of airberlin’s aircraft or staff should the airline be completely broken apart at the end of its insolvency.
Eurowings parent company, Lufthansa is closely involved in talks with airberlin about buying assets and has already signalled its intention to save as many jobs as possible. Although there’s still much to be done, the process is going at lightening speed so expect some major announcements sometime soon.
This could prove to be excellent news for airberlin employees who might find themselves with new jobs at Eurowings – but Irish low-cost airline, Ryanair is not happy. As the largest airline in Europe, Ryanair has accused Lufthansa of a “stitch-up” with the German government and airberlin. They’re calling on competition authorities to block what it calls the “carve up” of airberlin assets.
Where and when are Eurowings hiring?
Eurowings is hiring both flight attendants and pursers in various locations across Germany and Europe. The recruitment drive is currently open ended and applications can be submitted via the official Eurowings careers website. Hiring managers for the airline have said that this is just ‘phase 1’ of what could turn out to be a much larger cabin crew recruitment campaign.
At the moment positions are available at the following cabin crew bases:
- Flight attendant’s: Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Vienna, Salzburg and Palma de Mallorca
- Pursers: Vienna, Salzburg and Palma de Mallorca
There’s even a really nice campaign in Vienna for what Eurowings calls ‘Flying Students’ – This allows university students to work as part-time flight attendants during holidays and other university breaks.
You must already be qualified to operate Airbus A320 aircraft
However, there is one fairly major catch – Candidate’s need to already possess an up to date EASA cabin crew attestation as well as be licensed to operate on Airbus A320 aircraft. Undertaking a private course to acquire these qualifications can be really expensive – and it wouldn’t guarantee success in getting the job with Eurowings.
So that pretty much rules out any serving Ryanair cabin crew (who are only licensed on Boeing 737 aircraft) as well as any potential candidates with no previous flying experience. It also strengthens our suspicions that the majority of these jobs will be going to airberlin staff – or are we being just a little too cynical?
This also means that’s any new hires will only be used for Eurowing’s short haul European network for the time being at least.
The contract
Nonetheless, the application process is definitely open to external candidates and as a sign of confidence in the future, Eurowings is offering all successful candidates a permanent contract with the airline. In the past, a high percentage of flight attendants at Eurowings were hired on ‘time-limited employment contracts’ – however, that’s now coming to an end with permanent contracts now being offered either with Eurowings, Germanwings or Lufthansa.
Minimum requirements
So what are Eurowings looking for in their cabin crew? Well, according to recruiters, you’ll be a “caring host” and a “born organiser”. You should also be “responsive, open-minded and responsible” with a love for customer service. In addition, you’ll need to meet these minimum requirements:
- At least 18 years of age.
- Minimum height of 1,60 metres.
- Possess a valid passport for a European Union country.
- Fluent in both German and English – Written and spoken.
Finally, you should be able to present yourself with impeccable manners and have excellent team working skills.
In return, you’ll receive what Eurowings calls an ‘attractive’ pay and benefits package. On top of that, you’ll also get a whopping 42 days of annual leave per year.
