By Lee Hyo-sik
Nearly half of female flight attendants at the nation’s two flagship carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, are married, reflecting more Korean women continue working after marriage and childbirth.
According to the airline industry, Tuesday, 2,540 stewardesses out of 5,640 employed by Korean Air, or 45.6 percent, were married as of January, up from 26.2 percent in 2004.
The growth is less notable at Asiana Airlines as among its 3,157 female flight attendants, 1,383, or 43.8 percent of the total, were found to have a husband, up slightly from 41.4 percent seven years ago.
In the past, many female flight attendants used to either quit or work only as a ground crew after marriage or having children. But over the years, a growing number of older flight attendants have returned to the field.
Female flight attendants at both Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are exempt from flight duties when they become pregnant, and allowed to take maternity leave for up to two years. If they decide to come back and work as flight attendants, they are permitted to do so.
``Besides a general social trend that more women keep on working after marriage, a growing ratio of married female flight attendants is largely attributed to our efforts to establish a woman-friendly workplace,’’ a Korean Air spokesman said.
Asiana Airlines echoed its rival’s views, saying an increasing number of its active flight attendants are married. ``We have introduced a 72-hour training program specifically for those who come back to work from maternity leave. It is better for the company to encourage experienced flight attendants to stay even after marriage and childbirth,’’ an Asiana Airlines spokesman said.
He said it usually takes several months for the airline to recruit and train new flight staffs before putting them into the field.
In contrast, the ratio of married female flight attendants at Korea’s low cost carriers are substantially lower than those of the two large airlines as they began operation only a few years ago.
There are only 17 married stewardesses at Jeju Air, the nation’s largest budget carrier, accounting for only 13.2 percent of the 129. Air Busan, which was launched by Asiana Airlines in 2008, has only 15 married female flight attendants, accounting for only 10.6 percent of the 142.