The new American start-up airline Breeze Airways has rolled out a new cabin crew recruitment plan. The low-cost carrier offers university students to apply for a cabin crew position in the airline under a temporary contract.
The airline is hiring university students for a cabin crew job outlined in the Breeze Utah Valley University (UVU) Flight Attendant Tuition Reimbursement Plan, which can be found on the airline’s website.
Breeze Airways offers full-time students an opportunity to study full-time remotely while working as part-time cabin crew members. The company offers terminated 4-year contracts which come with perks such as shared housing, transportation to and from the airport for work, and one paid trip home per month.
“We expect you to welcome and accommodate guests, mitigate high-stress situations, collaborate and problem-solve with other Team Members, use good judgment, and just be…nice, all while taking online classes and earning your degree at Utah Valley University,” is written in the position summary.
However, the air carrier disclosed neither the expected amount of monthly salary nor the amount of minimum guaranteed flight hours each month. It also left unclear whether the temporary contract can be renewed after the term ends.
Meanwhile, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), the flight attendant union of the United States, argued that the airline‘s plan to hire students seems to be age-discriminating and called the offer “a direct assault on [flight attendant] profession and careers”.
Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Breeze Airways was due to launch its first flights in the second half of 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the launch to the summer season of 2021.
In April 2021, the airline, which currently owns two Embraer ERJ-190s and two Embraer ERJ-195 jets, has reportedly ordered 20 Airbus A220-300 jets in addition to the existing order consisting of 60 aircraft of this type. The suspicions regarding a possible purchase had been reinforced by the latest update of the Airbus orders list, which showed that an undisclosed buyer ordered 20 A220 planes. The deal could make the start-up airline the second-largest customer airline for the A220s after Delta Air Lines which ordered a total of 95 of the type.
Being previously known as Moxy and renamed itself in February 2021, Breeze is expected to ignite a new competition with already existing US air carriers focusing on domestic services.