Jin Air has delayed the onboarding of about 50 newly hired cabin crew members to late September or early October, just days before their scheduled start on May 11. The airline had selected around 100 candidates in its first-half recruitment, with half already beginning training. The postponement affects the remaining group, notified abruptly amid an emergency management system triggered by soaring international oil prices from the Middle East conflict.
A Jin Air representative stated that the adjustment was unavoidable due to the fuel cost surge, but emphasized that the overall hiring plan for final candidates remains intact. The carrier has cut 176 round-trip international flights through May, including 45 on eight routes to destinations like Guam last month and 131 on 14 routes such as Phu Quoc this month. Further reductions are anticipated once the June schedule is finalized.
The decision aligns with broader cost-cutting across South Korea’s low-cost carriers. Jet fuel prices have more than doubled, with the Singapore benchmark reaching $214.71 per barrel from March 16 to April 15, up 150 percent from two months prior. Rivals like Jeju Air, Tway Air, and Aero K have introduced unpaid leave programs for staff, while Asiana Airlines trimmed 27 round-trip flights on six routes through July.
Industry officials note that low-cost carriers have slashed a total of 900 round-trip flights as fuel expenses strain operations and summer travel demand weakens.