Ji-wan Nam Global Economic News IN order to get prepared for increased passengers and cargo transport in the post-COVID-19 era, Korean Air is going to hire new pilots. Korean Air said that it will recruit new pilots who have either military or civilian experience in 2022. It will accept applications by Sept. 27, and the number of employees that will be newly hired is reportedly double digits. Applicants who pass procedures including physical examinations and interviews will be hired sequentially next year. Applicants must have experience of more than 1,000 hours of flight time, it said. Korean Air said that it should prepare for the increased airline operations in the post-COVID-19 era, although the recession of airline industry is continuing. In order to train skilled pilots, one year of training for small airplanes and three to four years for medium and large airplanes are required. Because of this, Korean Air should hire new pilots next year to secure pilots to be deployed after 2023. Korean Air currently has more than 2,700 pilots. By hiring new pilots, Korean Air is expected to continue to strengthen its cargo business in the post-COVID-19 era. The number of pilots of Korean Air’s cargo planes is currently reported to be around 600. | 