China's Beijing Capital Airlines launches its first overseas recruitment drive in Portugal and Spain

"We chose Lisbon as the first stop as we had just launched a non-stop service between China and Portugal," a person responsible for overseas recruitment at Beijing Capital Airlines explained. High-ranking business executives and government officials from both China and Portugal were on hand to witness the inauguration of the Beijing-Lisbon route on July 25, 2017. The non-stop service between China and Portugal fills the gap in terms of the growing need for a direct flight between the two countries and is an important step in Beijing Capital Airlines' strategy to implement the Chinese government's One Belt, One Road initiative and to build a "silk road in the sky". At the 4th Portugal-China Gala held on November 2, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa presented the Outstanding Company Award to Beijing Capital Airlines, recognizing the positive contributions that the airline's non-stop service between the two countries makes in terms of bilateral economic and cultural exchanges. Beijing Capital Airlines launched the Hangzhou-Chengdu-Madrid route in 2016. The two international routes have increased Beijing Capital Airlines' brand awareness outside of China, most notably in Spain and Portugal. The recruitment of flight attendants originating from outside of its home market is also an important step in Beijing Capital Airlines' overall globalization strategy which calls for preparing a professional workforce for more intercontinental routes scheduled to be launched in 2018 and for bringing its quality services in line with all international standards.

"As the only direct flight service between China and Portugal, the Beijing-Lisbon route provides a comprehensive service package for passengers. Given that many passengers from Portugal and neighboring countries can be expected to travel on the Beijing-Lisbon route and who may have different expectations from the airline's domestic travelers, we will be diversifying our cabin crew team through the recruitment program, in a move to better serve our passengers and create a distinctive crew service system," the overseas recruitment manager explained. As a part of the plan to assure the highest level of quality on the Beijing-Lisbon route, Beijing Capital Airlines has established a strong international network through code sharing with TAP Portugal and combined transport cooperation on many other routes to Europe, South America and Africa. A move to diversify the nationalities of the flight staff, and, in the case of the new service, a focus on recruitment of attendants of Portuguese nationality, will help improve the service experience of the route, facilitate the development of mainstream tourist markets, promote the interconnection between China and Portuguese-speaking countries and contribute to the formation of an economic area as envisioned by the One Belt, One Road initiative.

On November 2, through onsite presentations and communications, candidates engaged in face-to-face interviews with recruiters from Beijing Capital Airlines, gaining direct insight into the airline's strengths and culture. Beijing Capital Airlines will provide a 70-day training program to the selected candidates for the flight attendant positions, giving them the needed opportunity to master essential cabin services and safe flight skills. The airline also provides sought-after career development opportunities in technical and managerial positions for crew members. As the first Chinese airline to recruit flight attendants in Lisbon, Beijing Capital Airlines' recruitment program has received widespread attention from the local media, not only helping to increase the brand awareness of Chinese airlines in markets worldwide, but also offering more job opportunities locally, building a new communications bridge between the two countries.

With a well-established talent management system and an effective employer brand building program, Beijing Capital Airlines' appeal to young men and women interested in a career in the aviation sector is growing rapidly. The company won the Best Employer of College Graduates in China award in late 2016. Building on the success of the recruitment program and leveraging its global route network, Beijing Capital Airlines plans to bring more topnotch talent with international experience on board in a move to create a highly-talented, multicultural cabin crew team and to provide more meaningful and personalized services for passengers, while creating a Chinese aviation brand that will be proud of the image of its home country that the airline creates for world audiences.

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