Abu Dhabi’s Etihad to Bolster Staffing as Travel Demand Recovers

(Bloomberg) -- Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways plans to hire as many as 1,000 cabin crew in the latest sign of an improving outlook for travel. 

“The last 18 months have been incredibly difficult,” the airline said Monday. “However, there is much to be positive about as travel restrictions ease and we ramp up operations to meet growing demand.”

Employees laid off due to the pandemic can apply, state-owned Etihad said.

The announcement comes a month after Emirates unveiled plans to recruit 3,000 cabin crew and 500 airport services employees to join its Dubai hub. 

Abu Dhabi and Dubai are part of the United Arab Emirates, which has inoculated more than 80% of its population. Infections rates have dropped and the country is now placed sixth on Bloomberg’s Resilience Rankings. 

Key travel markets, including Britain, Saudi Arabia and the U.S., have eased restrictions recently, bolstering the UAE’s vital tourism sector. Dubai kicked off its long-awaited World Expo fair on Friday and hopes to attract enough tourists to help solidify an economic recovery.

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