Delta to recall, hire attendants as carrier expands

Delta Air Lines, the world’s largest carrier, said it would recall furloughed attendants and hire an undetermined number of new workers as it adds flights.

The airline expects to begin training the attendants in January and have them flying by mid-2011, Chief Executive Officer Richard Anderson told employees in a recorded message today. He didn’t say how many flight attendant jobs would be filled at the Atlanta-based carrier. Delta is adding international flights as the economy recovers and businesses resume travel. The airline said on August 4 its passenger traffic across the Pacific Ocean rose 6.2 per cent this year through July, while Latin American traffic increased 3.4 per cent.

“We need lots of folks with language skills, given the extensive nature of our international network and the need to be able to communicate with passengers in their own language,” Anderson added.

Airline labour agreements generally require furloughed employees be given a chance to return before new workers are hired. The carrier is adding flights between London and its hubs at Detroit and Atlanta starting October 31, and is expanding facilities at New York’s Kennedy airport for international routes. Delta last month said it would fill 1,000 jobs at its 25 biggest US airports to help with planes flying at near-record capacity and cope with weather disruptions. Delta, with about 81,000 workers, has also announced plans to hire 240 pilots.