DENVER (KDVR) — Airlines are hiring nationwide as the industry rebounds following the most hectic months of the pandemic. United Airlines, along with its competitors, are busy filling vacancies at Denver International Airport.
United has hundreds of job openings in Denver. Many of the jobs are perceived to be male-oriented roles, but the ladies at United are proving that perception no longer needs to be a reality.
“It’s really amazing how much work there is to do on these [planes],” said United Airlines aircraft technician Katrina Oyer.
FOX31 caught up with Oyer and her female colleagues Thursday at United’s hangar at DIA. In what’s historically thought of as a “man’s world,” the female aviation mechanics at United’s Denver hub are an inspiration to those who are interested in an airline career.
“We’re breaking barriers,” said United Airlines shift manager Dana Eads, who also works at the hangar.
United Airlines filling jobs at Denver airport
United is looking for more than 50 people at its Denver hangar. The airline is looking to add 200 people to work in the ramp area.
“We’re growing big and very quickly,” said United Airlines ramp supervisor Jessica Chase. “Hopefully we can get more women into aviation.”
Recruiting is part of Eads’ duties. She said roughly 5% of mechanics at United are women. The United Denver hub has 335 aircraft mechanics and seven are women, Eads said.
“Other places average anywhere from one to three [women],” Eads said, referring to aviation mechanic divisions. “Some locations don’t have any females at all.”
But there’s hope for some change with mass hiring underway. United is looking to achieve a total of 90 gates at DIA. United’s expansion efforts in Denver coincide with Denver expansion efforts at Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines.