MALAYSIA AIR ASIA GROWING CNN

AIR ASIA IS ONE OF MALAYSIA'S MOST TALKED ABOUT SUCCESS STORIES. IT'S CLIMBED FROM OBSCURITY AND NEAR BANKRUPTCY, TO BECOME AN AVIATION GIANT. IN THE TEETH OF A WESTERN SLOW-DOWN, IN THE FAR EAST, ECONOMIES ARE STILL HUMMING, AND AIR ASIA IS ADDING NEW PLANES AND DESTINATIONS. BUT IT HAS ONE PROBLEM. THERE IS A WORLD-WIDE SHORTAGE OF PILOTS - AND AIR ASIA IS DESPERATELY TRYING TO TRAIN MORE...
"We are down by about in the region of 50 captains to fly all ninety airplanes throughout the three air asia airlines, and we are constantly looking for more pilots all around the world, the problem is : so it everyone. It's very very competitive market and I think it's only going to get worse."
"THIS IS JUST ONE OF MORE THAN 90 A320 AIRBUSES THAT THE AIR ASIA OPERATES, THE COMPANY CLAIMS IT IS THE FASTEST EXPANDING AIRLINE IN THE WORLD. BUT IT'S NOT JUST TRAINING ITS OWN PILOTS IT'S HELPING OTHER AIRLINES COPE WITH A SHORTAGE OF PEOPLE THAT CAN DO THIS."
AT THE AIR ASIA ACADEMY, WANNABE PILOTS ARE DRILLED IN DOZENS OF CLASSROOMS. SOME ARE RECRUITED FOR AIR ASIA, OTHERS HAVE PAID 130,000 DOLLARS THOUSAND TO PUT THEMSELVES THROUGH THIS PILOT SCHOOL, HOPING THEY'LL BREAK INTO A CAREER STILL SEEN AS GLAMOUROUS AND WELL PAID. IN FACT, FIRST OFFICERS' STARTING SALARY IS A MODEST 34,000 DOLLARS.
IT'S NOT JUST MEN HERE: AIR ASIA HAS 17 FEMALE PILOTS - ANY EMPLOYEE CAN APPLY TO ITS ACADEMY: SKILL, NOT GENDER OR RACE DETERMINES WHO'LL SUCCEED.
"For a female to come in and break into this industry is something new for everyone. Even today people come up or when I have passengers walking past they see it's a female pilot, it's something very exciting for me because they look up to us."
"There were many times I wanted to give up but I have actually pushed myself to the limit and I have gained my confidence and that is something for me to be proud of."
BOTH ZAPHIRA AND MELISSA WERE RECRUITED FROM WITHIN THE COMPANY - SOMETHING MANAGERS HERE ARE PROUD OF.
"We do give opportunities to our people to promoted to grow within the company, whatever position they wanna be".
THE COMPANY SAYS IT'LL INCREASE THE FLEET TO MORE THAN 200 AIRBUSES IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, AND IS INTERVIEWING 10 PILOT CANDIDATES, THREE TIMES A MONTH AS IT STRUGGLES TO CREW IT'S EVER EXPANDING FLEET.
DAN RIVERS, CNN, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA.
-----END-----CNN.SCRIPT

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• CNN
• KUALA
• LUMPUR
• MALAYSIA
• air
• asia
• airbus
• pilot
• aviation
• economy
• A320
• airline

[HAWK13ize]

I had a female captain on an Air Asia X A330-343X from Perth to Kuala Lumpur, when at gate 55 at Perth's International Airport she got alot of nasty looks because she had the 4 bars on her shoulders. however that flight was the smoothest flight i have ever been on! when landing in Kuala Lumpur passengers where told who was flying the plane and weather conditions etc. i could even feel the plane first touch down and she wasn't hard on the brakes either like other Air Asia pilots ar

[haziqam]

The first captain shown looks like popshuvit singer

[flyhigA320]

@banjir95 yup... u r VERY right..V1 will only be called out when rolling on the runway... it is a speed where pilot will have to decide takeoff or abort .... whether emergency takes place or without emergency after V1... pilot still have to takeoff....V2 is a safety speed for the A/C..... onces the A/C is lifted off the ground by the height of haft of the wingspan... A/C must reach V2

[matjosmy]

Fantastic Airline

[banjir95]

@guy014 Ya...v1,v2 and rotate only heard when takeoff,right?

[guy014]

I heard V1 and Rotate while the airplane was on approach to land! 2:08

[fdzy]

AirAsia the best low cost airline.