Over half of applications for jobs by Jetstar Asia staff led to offers or interviews

Over half of some 900 job applications by more than 500 retrenched Jetstar Asia staff have led to offers or interviews.

- Esther Loi

Mr John Simeone, chief executive of Jetstar Asia, gave these figures on July 31—the airline's last day of operations—in an interview outside Jetstar Asia's crew lounge at Changi Airport Terminal 4.

Besides the 54 per cent of successful or pending job applications, he added that the remaining staff are taking a break, making career changes or have not heard back on the job applications they sent in.

It was announced on June 11 that the Singapore-based low-cost carrier would cease operations on July 31 after more than 20 years, citing rising costs and growing competition as reasons for its closure.

More than 500 Singapore-based employees, including over 100 pilots and nearly 300 cabin crew members, are being laid off.

In the days following the announcement of Jetstar Asia's closure, there were concerted efforts by the National Trades Union Congress and the aviation community to place affected crew in new jobs.

Mr Simeone said June 11 was the hardest day in his 26-year career in aviation, when he had to tell 550 people that the airline would not be operating past July 31.

He noted that just hours after receiving the news of their retrenchment on the morning of June 11, Jetstar Asia crew members remained professional and continued operating about 40 scheduled flights that very afternoon.