Star Weekly is taking a look back at 2023. Here’s one of our biggest stories from last year.
January 17
Melbourne Airport is looking to fill an estimated 2000 jobs as airlines from mainland China return to Victoria after an easing of COVID restrictions.
The airport said flights to mainland China will start to increase from later this month after China dropped many of its COVID restrictions.
Prior to the pandemic, mainland China was Melbourne’s biggest international market, with thousands of families and friends, tourists, and students travelling in and out of the airport every day, according to the airport.
Airport service providers are currently recruiting staff to fill a variety of jobs across check-in services, baggage handling, retail, and terminal operations.
Upfield local Merve Taskesti has just started a job as a cleaner at the airport. Ms Taskesti said it’s her first job since moving to Australia in September.
“I really like working with this company as a cleaner and am very proud to do so,” she said.
“They are understanding people and have been very helpful, I am very happy here!”
In the last three months approximately 4000 workers have started at the airport as international carriers such as United, Qatar, Qantas, and Air Asia X added extra capacity into Melbourne.
Melbourne Airport chief executive Lorie Argus said international flights are huge employment generators both at Melbourne Airport and in the wider Victorian economy.
“We’re expecting further capacity increases in the coming months as Chinese carriers resume flights to Melbourne, VietJet launches direct services to Ho Chi Minh City, and Qantas returns to Hong Kong,” she said.
“We have a broad range of [job] opportunities available across numerous providers at the airport, and we’d really encourage people living in our local area to consider a career here.”
