The Transport & Logistics Bureau today issued letters to inform applicants about the results of the first round of applications for the Labour Importation Scheme for the Transport Sector - Aviation Industry.

Endorsed by the Chief Executive-in-Council in June, the scheme aims to, on the prerequisite of safeguarding the employment of local labour, suitably allow the aviation sector to apply for the importation of labour to fill vacancies for frontline non-supervisory positions under 10 specified job types, with a quota ceiling of 6,300.

A total of 29 eligible companies submitted applications within the application period, involving 2,889 labour importation quotas covering all 10 job types.

After assessment by the inter-departmental liaison group comprising representatives from the bureau, the Labour Department and the Airport Authority, the Permanent Secretary for Transport & Logistics approved the applications from 28 companies with a total of 2,841 quotas, which is around 45% of the quota ceiling.

The bureau expressed hope that the imported workers would receive training and work in Hong Kong soon, with a view to relieving the acute manpower shortage and supporting the continual recovery of the aviation industry.

It also explained that some applications were not approved as they failed to meet one of the following basic requirements of the scheme:

(i) the job for which quotas are applied must fall into one of the 10 specified job types;

(ii) the number of quotas applied for must be within the limit under the manning ratio requirement of full-time local staff and imported labour; and

(iii) the applicant must have conducted local recruitment for the jobs for which quotas are applied.

Separately, one application was rejected as the wage intended to be offered was lower than the median wage of the corresponding job type, the bureau added.