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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Ellie Kim] Rising global oil prices בעקבות the Middle East conflict are beginning to translate into job insecurity for South Korea’s low-cost carriers (LCCs), as airlines move to cut costs and adjust operations.
According to Yonhap News Agency on May 12, Jin Air has postponed the onboarding of around 50 newly hired cabin crew members to the second half of the year.
Out of approximately 100 candidates who passed the airline’s first-half recruitment process, about 50 have already joined and are undergoing training, while the remaining 50 were originally scheduled to start on May 11. However, the company reportedly notified them only days in advance that their start dates would be delayed to late September or early October, after the Chuseok holiday.
A Jin Air official said, “In light of the emergency management measures triggered by the surge in global oil prices following the Middle East conflict, we had no choice but to adjust onboarding schedules,” adding that the company still intends to hire all successful candidates.
The airline had previously deferred its annual safety incentive payments to employees indefinitely as part of cost-cutting efforts.
With fuel costs rising sharply and higher fuel surcharges expected to dampen summer travel demand, LCCs are also reducing international flight operations. Jin Air has cut a total of 176 round-trip flights through this month, including 45 flights across eight routes such as Guam last month and 131 flights across 14 routes, including Phu Quoc, this month.
Other LCCs are taking similar steps. Jeju Air, the country’s largest LCC, has been accepting applications for unpaid leave from cabin crew for the month of June since May 8. T'way Air introduced unpaid leave for cabin crew for two months, from May to June, while Aero K has opened applications for company-wide unpaid leave for May.
Industry observers note that the combination of elevated fuel costs and weakening demand is placing significant pressure on LCCs, prompting broader workforce adjustments across the sector.
Alphabiz Ellie Kim 인턴기자(press@alphabiz.co.kr)
