Chennai: It’s only 7-30 a.m. But not too early for a pretty girl in a black short skirt and a white shirt who steps out of a Karnataka-registered Honda City that comes to a screeching halt in front of Chinmaya Heritage Centre in central Chennai.
She, along with a whole lot of young men and women, is to attend an interview with AirAsia India to become a flight attendant.
And, in an hour, the narrow street off Harrington Road in Chetpet is swamped by young aspirants who have come rushing to the centre with the hopes of flying high with the airline. The airline is expected to commence its domestic operations in September.
The hot and humid day did not prevent the men from wearing glossy suits in various colours that caught the attention of passers-by. Many girls were busy touching up their make-up. A number of candidates came directly from the airport or railway station, lugging along their trolleys. A police patrol was stationed outside the venue to regulate the traffic.
The interview started at 9 a.m, and by 11 a.m. nearly 1,000 candidates had registered. By 3 p.m., the tally had increased to 3,500 for 100 vacancies.
“We have never in our history seen such an overwhelming response,” said Suhaila Hassan, AirAsia’s group head flight attendant.
13/04/13 TE Raja Simhan/Business Line
