Singapore's aviation workforce rebounds strongly from pandemic losses
The workforce of Singapore's aviation sector has surpassed pre-COVID levels, rebounding following the impact of the pandemic, according to reports.
The sector is now employing about 36,000 workers, surpassing pre-COVID levels of 35,000, The Straits Times reported, citing Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.
Chee told reporters that key players in the industry, including Singapore Airlines, Changi Airport Group, and Sats, are hiring for various roles and looking to expand.
The growth extends the recovery of Singapore's aviation sector, which lost a third of its workforce after layoffs and hiring freezes due to low demand for air travel across the world.
In 2022, the Ministry of Transportation provided a support package worth SGD500-million to help the COVID-hit industry recover. Since then, it has recovered 90% of its workforce in May 2023, and then reached 95% in August 2023, according to the Times.
According to Chee, automation and digitalisation will improve the productivity of the sector's workers and the efficiency of workflows.
He added that the redesigning of jobs with digitalisation can also help retain older workers, so they can continue working in less physically demanding conditions, The Straits Times reported.
For younger jobseekers in the sector, Chee said there would be more job opportunities for them stemming from the construction of Changi Airport Terminal 5 and the expansion of Singapore's air cargo industry.
The minister said they are currently working with industry players in the aviation sector to support their growth and improve their competitiveness globally.
