We’ll probably never know whether Norwegian planned to hire U.S. flight attendants because they genuinely wanted American staff or because they were called out by both labor unions and rival airlines. But what we do know is Norwegian is now actively recruiting flight attendants for two new crew bases in the Boston and New York City areas.
Norwegian is already the world’s sixth largest low-cost airline and its set to get even bigger as it steps up its U.S. operation with a slew of new transatlantic routes opening this summer. The expansion will see the airline operating brand new Boeing 787-800MAX aircraft from Stewart International Airport (SWF), in the New York area and from T.F. Green International Airport (PVD), Rhode Island.
And to help fuel its expansion efforts, Norwegian is recruiting flights attendants for both crew bases as well as direct entry ‘Cabin Chiefs‘. At Stewart International Airport, the airline plans to initially hire 30 flight attendants and pilots with the plan to increase that number later in the year. A similar number are expected at Rhode Island. A total of 150 U.S. flight attendant positions are expected to be filled by the airline this year.
To join Norwegian as a Flight Attendant you don’t need any previous flying experience but you will have to get your application in quick to stand a chance. You’ll need to submit an online application by the 30th June via the airline’s official careers website.
This could be an excellent opportunity to join an airline which is really making a name for itself in revolutionising the transatlantic market. If you “have a friendly and outgoing personality” as well as “a willingness to work in a diverse environment”, then this could be the opportunity for you.
As well as being at least 20 years old and with the legal right to live and work in the USA, you’ll also need to meet these following minimum requirements:
- Minimum High School education or comparable
- At least 160cm tall (5’3″)
- Able to swim unaided for at least 200 metres
- A ‘clean’ criminal record
- Physically fit and healthy
You’ll also need to have previous customer service or hospitality experience and the willingness to work long anti-social hours. If this sounds like the ideal job for you, make sure to highlight the following key skills in your application: Safety-focused, service-minded, flexible, strong interpersonal and communication skills.
Norwegian manages it’s recruitment and workforce through a wholly owned subsidiary called OSM Aviation. In the past, the airline has been criticised by rivals who accused Norwegian of wanting to hire cheap labor from Asia to operate its Transatlantic services. In order to gain a licence to operate these new services, Norwegian made assurances to the U.S. government that it would hire local staff.
And the airline seems to be keeping to its word. In Scotland, 130 local pilots and flight attendants have been hired for its new Edinburgh crew base. Meanwhile, serving Norwegian flight attendants in the U.S. have secured union representation with IAM. Norwegian’s founder, Bjorn Kjos addressed some of the concerns in a statement last year:
“Norwegian is fully committed to growing its presence in the U.S. market, and that includes creating more American jobs. Not only do we have more U.S.-based cabin crew than any other foreign airline, we will soon also have more U.S.-based pilots than any other foreign airline. Norwegian is simply creating more American jobs than any other non-American airline, and we will continue to do so, just as we promised we would.”
For the direct entry ‘Cabin Chief’ position, you’ll need to be at least 21 years old with a minimum of 12 months previous flying experience. If you pass selection, training and the 6-month probationary period, Norwegian is offering a $1,000 sign up bonus.
Applications can be submitted on the airline’s official careers website. If you successfully pass the initial screening exercise, you’ll be required to take part in a series of online assessments. Once you get past this stage, you’ll be invited to take part in an Assessment Day – Dates and locations are still to be announced.
Last year, Norwegian received 1,000 applications for the 100 positions they had available. The competition is tough but not nearly as bad as comparable airlines.
The best of luck!
You can find out more about how Norwegian works by checking out this article: Norwegian’s Growth Continues in March 2017: Here’s How the Airline Works
