Flight Crew Management Case Study: Norwegian Air Shuttle

In 2012, Norwegian planned to expand operations into a new country where it had limited familiarity with local employment law and HR regulations. At the same time, the airline required high volume cabin crew recruitment to support the new base. To ensure a compliant recruitment process and effective payroll management, including social security, tax obligations and wider employer compliance, Norwegian chose to outsource its cabin crew hiring and HR management to a specialist aviation recruitment and flight crew management provider. AeroProfessional delivers high volume aviation recruitment and outsourced HR solutions across international markets, supporting airlines with compliant employment structures, payroll administration and crew contracting. Norwegian engaged AeroProfessional in 2012 to manage its cabin crew recruitment and HR requirements within the new market.

Once Norwegian had communicated its requirements, AeroProfessional initiated the search and selection process across its established cabin crew candidate network and targeted external marketing channels. Shortlisted applicants progressed to a structured assessment stage designed and managed by AeroProfessional specifically for cabin crew evaluation. Following a rigorous aviation compliant background and security screening process, successful candidates were formally appointed as Norwegian cabin crew. Norwegian retained full operational control of its cabin crew, while AeroProfessional managed all HR related functions. These included onboarding, payroll administration, employee management, annual leave, wellbeing and retention, sickness management and industrial relations. This full service flight crew management model provided stability, compliance and workforce continuity throughout the airline's expansion.