It’s been a long time coming but flight attendants at Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific will finally have their retirement age extended – something the overwhelming majority of flight attendants actually wanted. At present, cabin crew at the airline are forced to leave at just 55-years old but the change of rules will extend their retirement age by five years to 60-years old.
Over 80% of flight attendant union members voted for the change of retirement age in September 2017 and union officials had initially hoped to bring about the change in policy relatively quickly. Clearly, it’s taken a little longer than planned but the union believes crew will think the change is worth the wait.
In a statement, the Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants Union said it had been fighting for a change in retirement age for decades, calling the increased retirement age a “great victory” for cabin crew who have in the past been “stereotyped as young and pretty girls.”
The union said it was “a great leap forward” in eliminating age discrimination in Hong Kong’s aviation industry.
Other airlines in the region, including Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airways currently set their retirement age at 60. Singapore Airlines, meanwhile, has a retirement age of 62-years old, while China Airlines, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Philippine Airlines all have a minimum retirement age of 65.
Cathay Pacific is hiring new flight attendants…
Cathay Pacific recently started accepting applications for new cabin crew to join its Hong Kong-based team. The airline is looking for candidates who already have the right to live and work in Hong Kong and you can apply either as an experienced crew member or without any prior flying experience.
You’ll need to meet some of the following minimum criteria to be eligible for this role:
- At least 18-years old
- Fluent in spoken and written English
- Proficient in at least one of the following Asian languages:
- Cantonese, Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Japenese, Thai, Bahasa Malaysia, Tagalog
- Able to reach at least 208cm
- Physically fit and able
- Minimum High School education, including in English language
Candidates who possess Mandarin as a third language are particularly sought after, although this isn’t essential. You’ll need to apply for this position via Cathay Pacific’s official careers website and there are also opportunities at Cathay Dragon.
Expect to hear back from the recruitment within six weeks, although if you’re not shortlisted you’ll need to wait at least six months before reapplying for the role.
