Cebu Pacific goes on a hiring spree

Budget carrier Cebu Pacific is beefing up its staff to support its aggressive expansion over the next decade.

In a statement on Thursday, the company said that it has 150 new positions open exclusively for female flight attendants.

The hiring of additional cabin crew will augment Cebu Pacific’s workforce in time for the delivery of four brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft in the second half of 2011, and 16 brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft from 2012 until 2014.

The company recently announced a $3.8-billion order for 30 Airbus A321 Neo and seven Airbus A320 aircraft to be delivered from 2015 until 2021.

It is the largest order for the Airbus A321 Neo in the world. This was also the largest order ever made by any airline in the country.

“Our expansion will allow us to continue offering high-paying jobs to more Filipinos, and keep them close to their families,” vice president for marketing Candice Iyog said.

“Cebu Pacific will continue to give more Filipinos the chance to build their careers in the airline industry. Our plan to hire more flight, cabin and ground crew will continue to grow as the airline grows.”

According to Iyog, the company has so far created close to 5,000 jobs with an annual payroll of over P2 billion, contributing significantly to the Philippine job market.

Cebu Pacific is one of several airlines in Asia that have announced aggressive expansion plans this month, in time for the Paris Airshow.

Malaysia’s Air Asia ordered a record 200 planes from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus for roughly $17 billion.

Indian budget carrier IndiGo likewise announced an order of 180 new planes for $16 billion.

Cebu Pacific, owned by the Gokongwei group, has 16 international and 34 domestic routes. It is currently the country’s largest airline in terms of passengers served.

This year, the airline expects to sell over 12 million tickets, up from 10.5 million last year.