A few weeks ago, British Airways made the shock announcement that it would close its international cabin crew base in Hong Kong – the decision, which was initially made with immediate effect, resulted in the loss of over 80 highly experienced cabin crew who had served the airline for many years. British Airways said the decision was made for commercial reasons but it didn’t expect the service it offered customers to be affected.
Finnair, however, has decided to take a very different approach to its European rival – In 2015, Finnair first opened an international cabin crew base in Hong Kong and is now looking to increase the number of local staff as it expands services into the Chinese territory.
Applications are now being accepted for new cabin crew to join the Hong Kong base although you’ll need to be quick – the application window could close at any moment. The process is being run by OSM Aviation, a third-party agency who manage Finnair’s cabin crew in Hong Kong.
You’ll already need to already have the right to live and work in Hong Kong (Finnair can’t sponsor candidates) and you should preferably have previous experience as cabin crew (here’s looking at you, ex-BA staffers) – although it’s not absolutely essential. You’ll also need to meet these following minimum criteria:
- At least 20-years old
- Minimum height: 162cm / Maximum height: 188cm
- Completed High School education
- Fluent in written and spoken English
- Fluent in either Cantonese or Mandarin
- Able to swim at least 50 metres
- Physically fit and able
As well as those requirements, Finnair is looking for cabin crew with a “positive attitude and a willingness to work in a diverse environment.” You’ll need to be safety focused and an excellent team player, with a problem solving and can do attitude.
Key skills include empathy, independence, and the ability to work under pressure.
In January, Finnair announced plans to serve Hong Kong 12-times per week for the 2018/2019 winter season. The airline has successfully built its business strategy on using its Helsinki hub to act as a quick transit stop to connect major cities in the East with North American destinations.
Finnair serves many of its popular Asian routes with state of the art Airbus A350 aircraft. The airline currently has 12 of the next generation aircraft in its fleet.
Part-time and summer crew
As well as permanent positions at its Hong Kong base, Finnair is also recruiting part-time and seasonal contract cabin crew for its Helsinki hub. The minimum requirements are the same as above, although of course, you’ll need to have the right to live and work in Finland rather than Hong Kong!
Training courses are expected to start in early 2019 and the recruitment process will be taking place between now and December. Finnair says its mainly looking for part-time staff – where you work full-time hours during the busy summer months but then work less during the quieter winter months.
You would then have the option to have a full-time contract after serving 12-months with the airline. This is a relatively common practice by a number of European airlines.
The application process is being run by the airline’s own recruitment team and candidates should apply via the official Finnair recruitment website.
