Aviation schools take the hospitality route
Bangalore: When Jet Airways pink-slipped nearly 800 of its cabin crew and ground staff on Tuesday, warning bells rang across aviation academies in the country. The aviation sector, touted to generate nearly 2.5 lakh jobs by 2010, is reeling under the combined impact of rising fuel prices and the global economic slowdown.
A day before the lay-offs, Jet entered into a strategic alliance with Vijay Mallya-owned Kingfisher Airlines.
The rationale behind the lay-offs has upset many students. “It was unfair to fire so many employees in such a manner. Now, there is uncertainty in the job market, which affects our prospects,” Akanksha Mani, a student with an airhostess training academy, said.
This downsizing has also shaken a few from the industry. “There is some amount of tension in everyone because the airlines are going through a lean phase. People are worried that other private airlines might follow suit,” Niharika Desai, an airhostess with a leading airline said.
“We counsel students at the start of the course to keep an open mind about job opportunities across industries. A component of their course includes training for the hospitality sector. We will concentrate on regional airlines and five-star hotels this placement season,” said Rohit Goel, chief operating officer, Kairali Aviation Pvt. Ltd.
Aviation academies are putting on a brave front and waiting for the industry to stabilise. “There is a slow down in placements in the aviation sector, but we are sure the market will revive,” Megha Datta, trainer-cum-human resources, Airhostess Training Academy, said.
Cabin crew training institutions are now relying on the hospitality sector to bail them out. “The hospitality sector also offers some great opportunities for those graduating from aviation courses,” Datta told DNA.
There is widespread optimism about the situation improving. “The lay-offs were about cost cutting as a result of steep fuel prices and the economic slowdown. However, most operators will bounce back in a matter of months,” Sharati Kumar, business development officer, Avalon Academy said.
15/10/08 Jayalakshmi Venugopal/Daily News & Analysis