Major advertising campaign launched
Lufthansa is looking for more than 2,000 pilots
October 27, 2023, 3:19 p.m
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Lufthansa is cutting many jobs during the pandemic – probably too many. The airline fleet is now being expanded, which requires thousands of pilots. In order to close the personnel gaps, Lufthansa is recruiting veterans and young professionals with a costly campaign.
Because of the great need, Lufthansa has launched a campaign to recruit young talent for the cockpit. Lufthansa said the company will need more than 2,000 new pilots by the end of 2025 to support its airlines’ growing aircraft fleet. The campaign is aimed at young professionals as well as pilots who have already trained and who want to switch to the Lufthansa Group. The 24-month training is carried out by Lufthansa’s flight school, the European Flight Academy.
It costs 110,000 euros, which the student pilots have to raise themselves. There is no guarantee of being accepted into the well-paid cockpit job at Lufthansa Airlines, but graduates would be given priority. A Lufthansa spokeswoman said that this is not a sign that the airlines are currently struggling to find enough staff.
Too many jobs cut
“Demand is high, the next courses, which start every six to eight weeks, are already well filled.” During the corona pandemic, Lufthansa cut many cockpit positions through severance payments – too many, as it turned out during the rapid recovery after the crisis. The fact that many aircraft pilots will retire from working life in the coming years will also result in a growing need for personnel.
Due to the high staff shortage, Lufthansa significantly reduced its flight offerings this summer. For July, Lufthansa has removed 900 flights within Germany and Europe from its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. The entire aviation industry, especially in Europe, is currently suffering from bottlenecks and a lack of personnel – from passenger screening to aircraft handling to flight attendants. There is a lack of employees who looked for other jobs during the pandemic.