90% of Jetstar Asia pilots and cabin crew secure jobs or interviews after airline's July closure: NTUC

SINGAPORE: Most pilots and cabin crew who lost their jobs after Singapore-based Jetstar Asia ceased operations about six weeks ago have secured jobs or interviews, labour chief Ng Chee Meng said. 

The airline’s closure, which was announced in June, resulted in more than 500 employees in Singapore being laid off.

The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said after the announcement that it was committed to supporting those laid off.

This included organising a three-day job matching exercise in June at Jetstar Asia’s premises, which involved more than 450 job roles across 1,400 job vacancies.

In an update on the laid-off employees’ situation, Mr Ng, the NTUC secretary-general, said on Wednesday (Sep 10) that 90 per cent of the affected pilots and cabin crew had secured interviews or jobs with companies such as the Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group and Marina Bay Sands.

In a Facebook post, Mr Ng also said he met recently with former Jetstar Asia employees - pilots, cabin crew, and corporate staff - who had just transitioned to SIA Group's budget carrier Scoot.

“They told me their experiences were a blend of anxiety and joy, particularly for one new father welcoming his second child while facing the challenges of Jetstar's closure,” he said.

"As mid-career workers, they also voiced concerns about adapting to new technologies and fitting into a new company culture."

NTUC said in June that the SIA Group, including Scoot, was primarily supporting the recruitment efforts for Jetstar Asia’s pilots and cabin crew.

RISING COSTS

Jetstar Asia flew its final flight from Changi Airport on Jul 31, concluding more than 20 years of operations.

Before its closure, the airline had been reeling from rising supplier costs, higher airport fees and intensifying competition among low-cost carriers.

This challenged its ability to deliver returns comparable to the stronger-performing core markets in the Qantas Group.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said previously that the company had seen some supplier costs rise by up to 200 per cent, materially changing its cost base.

Jetstar Asia had been operating flights between Singapore and destinations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, China, Sri Lanka, Japan and Australia.

Four routes out of Singapore - Broome (Australia), Labuan Bajo (Indonesia), Okinawa (Japan) and Wuxi (China) - had been operated exclusively by the airline. 

Scoot said in June that it was preparing to step in to offer flights to some of these destinations after Jetstar Asia's closure. 

The airline said it planned to offer a maximum of four weekly flights to Okinawa and two weekly flights to Labuan Bajo during the northern winter season, which runs from Oct 26 to Mar 28.