SIA, Scoot need to keep an eye on morale as they absorb Jetstar staff

Experts say careful handling crucial to preserve productivity, workplace harmony

- Sharon Salim

Major organisation shake-ups often bring uncertainty and anxiety—and Jetstar Asia's sudden exit from Singapore is no exception.

With more than 500 Singapore-based employees retrenched following the airline's announcement on June 11, attention has now turned to Singapore Airlines and its low-cost subsidiary Scoot, which have offered a lifeline to about 300 displaced former Jetstar employees.

While these open positions—100 for pilots and 200 for cabin crew—account for a relatively small portion of SIA and Scoot's total staff strength of around 21,000, experts said the integration of incoming staff still requires careful handling to preserve morale, productivity, and workplace harmony.

Dr Sam Garg, professor of management at Essec Business School, said SIA Group's move is more than opportunistic hiring.

"It reflects sector stewardship, ensuring Singapore retains critical aviation talent while providing displaced workers with continuity of employment," said Dr Garg, who is based in his school's Asia-Pacific campus in Singapore.

"The key is to treat this not just as recruitment, but as integration management."

SIA Group is no stranger to absorbing displaced aviation professionals.

In 2017, Tigerair's 850 employees were absorbed into Scoot, resulting in a combined workforce of about 1,750, according to trade publication Human Resources Director Asia.

In 2018, SIA also announced integration efforts with its subsidiary SilkAir, and completed the merger in 2021.

About 600 SilkAir staff went through a conversion programme as part of SIA's onboarding efforts, according to a 2021 article in SIA travel magazine SilverKris.