Aviation sector to grapple with manpower crunch over next 6 to 12 months: Malaysia Airlines chief

The aviation sector worldwide will likely continue to face a manpower crunch over the next six to 12 months, said the head of Malaysia Airlines. Izham Ismail, group chief executive of Malaysia Airlines, said Tuesday that the shortage of manpower has been apparent in Europe and within Asean, including in Singapore and Malaysia. "People are not attracted to come back to an airline environment, because first of all, airlines are very volatile," said Izham. "We retrenched people during the pandemic and (when) we try to call them back... they think twice." He was addressing industry representatives at a panel session during Aviation Festival Asia, held at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre. Izham said that, among other manpower-related issues, some workers have also moved into the gig economy. Thus, firms in the aviation industry and policymakers will need to work together to address such issues and attract workers to the sector, he said.<br/>