As Western companies disappear from Russia, so do jobs.
Until mid-January, Alexander (name changed) worked 12-hour night shifts at a factory and brought home 35,000 rubles ($506, €480) a month. The 22-year-old student from the Saratov region of southwest Russia wanted to be a pilot, but when medical reasons made that impossible, he decided to become a flight attendant.
He came across a job advertisement for a Russian airline and immediately applied. He was invited for an interview and a practical test in Volgograd, and both went well. By this time, Alexander had already quit his job at the factory. The airline offered him good terms – a training course in Moscow followed by a work contract with a monthly salary of around 100,000 rubles ($1,445, €1,370).
But he never got to do the training. On February 24, Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine – and foreign companies began to leave the Russian market. Western sanctions against hundreds of individuals and companies, including airlines, have also been adopted. In addition, the West closed its airspace to Russian planes and banned the sale, delivery and transfer of planes and spare parts to Russia. This caused aviation leasing companies to terminate aircraft contracts in Russia, but Russian companies did not part with their vehicles. However, these leased planes now only fly a few domestic routes.
Alexander’s training and his subsequent employment were canceled. He doesn’t think it makes sense to apply for jobs with other airlines: “The planes aren’t going through the normal maintenance checks, spare parts aren’t being delivered, so the condition of these planes that are in the air is just not there. Of course. The stakes are too high for me.”
Source: DW
Lori Barajas is an accomplished journalist, known for her insightful and thought-provoking writing on economy. She currently works as a writer at 247 news reel. With a passion for understanding the economy, Lori’s writing delves deep into the financial issues that matter most, providing readers with a unique perspective on current events.