Airports race to fill thousands of jobs cut in pandemic

Airport ground-handling companies that are crucial to the smooth operation of air travel are racing to fill thousands of jobs that were cut during the pandemic as they seek to ease widespread disruption. Companies like Swissport, John Menzies and Dnata are contracted by airlines to provide vital services ranging from check-in to baggage handling. Global airlines have called for an urgent recruitment drive, after disruption at airlines and airports in the UK, the EU and the US, which has been blamed on staff shortages across the industry. Passengers have over the past week reported a pilot leaving the cockpit to help load bags on to the plane, cabin crew sorting baggage because of a shortage of ground-handlers and crew seen climbing through baggage carousel curtains to hunt for their bags. Swissport, which operates at 285 airports globally, has said it is looking to hire 30,000 staff this summer and has launched campaigns on social media in the UK and US. The company lost 20,000 of its 65,000 workers as part of cost cuts during the pandemic. Dnata, which is owned by the Emirates Group, said it was “actively hiring”, while John Menzies and Esken are also looking for ground-handling staff, according to their websites. “We are hiring like crazy,” one executive said. The IATA said there was a “severe shortage of ground-handlers” after thousands left the industry during the pandemic. “The shortages we are experiencing today are a symptom of the longer-term challenges to achieve a stable talent base in ground-handling,” said Nick Careen, the IATA executive who oversees operations, safety and security.<br/>