Pilot hiring up 8 pc by air carriers in South Korea amid strong travel demand

Seoul, Oct 20 (IANS) The number of pilots newly hired by South Korean air carriers rose 8 per cent (year-on-year) through August, data showed on Sunday, driven by post-pandemic travel demand.

The 11 air carriers hired 537 new pilots over the January-August period, compared with 498 in the same period a year earlier, according to Rep. Lee Yeon-hee of the main opposition Democratic Party, who cited data from the transport ministry.

The figure marks a significant increase from the annual average of 135 recorded between 2020 and 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Yonhap news agency.

By air carrier, Korean Air hired the highest number of pilots at 119, followed by T'way Air Co, a low-cost carrier (LCC), with 114.

T'way has been expanding its number of pilots after being designated as an alternative carrier for four routes operated by Korean Air to European cities -- Rome, Barcelona, Frankfurt and Paris -- following the top player's planned merger with Asiana Airlines Inc.

Eastar Jet Co., another LCC, hired 79 pilots, followed by Jin Air Co. and Air Busan Co. with 68 and 39, respectively. Asiana has not been hiring new pilots since last year.

The number of flight attendants newly recruited by South Korean air carriers, meanwhile, also reached 1,216 over the eight-month period, nearing the 1,238 hired for all of 2023, the data also showed.

Earlier this month, Asiana Airlines announced it will increase fees for excess baggage on its international flights starting January 2, 2025. Those fees apply to baggage in excess of the airline's free allowance.

Asiana will also raise its excess weight fees, with 23 kilograms being the limit.

Due to soaring oil prices and other costs, low-cost carriers, such as Jeju Air Co., Air Seoul Inc., Jin Air Co. and Eastar Jet Co., have raised their excess baggage fees this year.