Labour Importation Scheme for the Aviation Industry

Labour Importation Scheme - Aviation Industry

• Designated Job Type

   

  1. Passenger Services Officer

  Passenger Services Officers are passenger-facing staff that provide services to passenger at landside and airside (including but not limited to check-in services and assisting departing and arriving passengers). Typical job titles include Passenger Services Officer, Customer Services Officer, Baggage Services Officer, etc.

   

  2. Ramp Services Agent

  Ramp Services Agents are staff who provide loading/unloading services of baggage, mail and cargo and related coordination services at the apron and baggage area. Typical job titles include Baggage Assistant, Baggage Handling Agent, Aircraft Loading Agent, Ramp Services Officer/ Agent and Ramp Safety Officer/ Agent, etc.

   

  3. Cabin Worker

  Cabin workers are staff who prepare the aircraft cabin for flight services, including staff for cabin cleaning and catering operations, but excluding cooks. Typical job titles include Cabin Cleaner, Catering Operation Handler, etc.

   

  4. Aircraft Maintenance Mechanic/ Technician

  Aircraft Maintenance Mechanics/ Technicians are non-engineer and non-planner grade staff who offer aircraft maintenance services at the airport, including Aircraft Maintenance Mechanics, Aircraft Maintenance Trainees and Aircraft Maintenance Technicians, etc.

   

  5. Tractor Driver

  Tractor Drivers are baggage handling tractor drivers and cargo handling tractor drivers in the restricted area of the airport.

   

  6. Warehouse Operator/ Cargo Handler

  Warehouse Operator/ Cargo Handlers are staff who handle storage-related and air cargo-related work in warehouses (including component warehouses) and cargo terminals at the airport (e.g. physical handling of cargo, cargo build-up/ breakdown).  Typical job titles include Warehouse Operator, Cargo Handler, etc.

   

  7. Equipment / Loader Operator

  Equipment/ Loader Operators​ are staff who operate (mid-sized/ heavy) equipment and loaders at the airport.

   

  8. Customer Services Agent

  Customer Services Agents are staff who provide customer services to non-passenger entities (e.g. tour agencies and air cargo shippers).     

   

  9. Aircraft Tug Driver

  Aircraft Tug Drivers are drivers who operate aircraft tugs at the apron.

   

  10. Maintenance Technician

  Maintenance Technicians are staff providing non-IT system maintenance work to companies at the airport.  Typical job titles include electrical appliance mechanic, equipment maintenance worker, etc. (excluding aircraft maintenance-related staff). Such staff must be full-time employees directly employed by the company being serviced at the airport.

• Median Wages

  	Job Types	Years of Experience (years)	Average Working Hours per Days (Hours)	Average Working Days per Month (Days)	Median Monthly Wages (including allowances but excluding overtime pay) (in HKD)
  1	Passenger Services Officer	0 - 4	8	25	17 400
  2	Ramp Services Agent	0 - 4	8	23	14 200
  3	Cabin Worker	0 - 4	8	23	13 300
  4	Aircraft Maintenance Mechanic/ Technician	3 - 6	8	23	15 600
  5	Tractor Driver	Not applicable	8.5	23	16 600
  6	Warehouse Operator/ Cargo Handler	0 - 4	7.5	20	14 300
  7	Equipment/ Loader Operator	0 - 4	10	23	21 300
  8	Customer Services Agent	Not applicable	8.5	23	18 200
  9	Aircraft Tug Driver	Not applicable	8	20	20 400
  10	Maintenance Technician	0 - 4	8	25	16 500

• Application Method

  Eligibility for Application

  • Applicants shall be registered business entities which possess a contract/ license/ franchise/ passenger handling permit with AAHK to operate its business at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).

  Local Recruitment

  • Applicants shall prove that, before applying for imported labour under the Scheme, they have made sufficient effort in recruiting local workers within four months preceding the application via:
    1. Conducting local recruitment at an open local job fair, or;
    2. Publishing recruitment advertisements on the Labour Department's Interactive Employment Service website for at least 14 consecutive calendar days, or;
    3. Publishing 2 recruitment advertisements in local newspaper(s)/ recruitment website(s) for at least 14 consecutive calendar days​​.

  Form Submission

  • The application for imported labour quota is open about every six months. Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) and AA will publish on their respective websites the application period. AA will also inform eligible companies for application when the application is open.
    Applicants shall submit the completed application form with supporting documents to AA during the specified application period.

  Quota Allocation Results

  • The ceiling of labour importation quotas under the scheme is 6 300. The quotas will be allocated to Applicants who can fulfill the eligibility mentioned above, with all necessary documentation provided.
  • Applicants should understand that quotas under the Scheme are limited. Allocations may not necessarily meet the requests of the Applicants.
  • Upon allocation of imported labour quota, an Applicant shall use the quota(s) within six months, failing which the allocated quotas will be forfeited.

  Visa / Entry permit

  • Upon signing of the employment contracts, applicants shall submit applications for visa/ entry permit for the workers concerned to the Immigration Department.
  • For details of applications for visa/ entry permit, please refer to the Guidebook for Entry under Sector-specific Labour Importation Schemes [ID(E) 1031] published by the Immigration Department or visit the website of the Immigration Department at https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/visas/slis.html. Applicants shall allow six weeks' time for the Immigration Department to process the application.

  Other Fees

  • After engaging in employment with an imported worker, the employer should pay the following fees:
    1. Pay the Employees Retraining Levy to be collected by the Director of Immigration that goes to the Employees Retraining Board to augment the provision of training and retraining for local labour. The levy payable in a lump sum in respect of each imported labour is $400 multiplied by the number of months covered by the employment contract; and
    2. Pay to AA $400 per month for each imported worker for the duration of the employment contract concerned (or actual employment period concerned, whichever is shorter) in a lump sum, as transport subsidy for airport frontline staff.