TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China Airlines (CAL) was planning to recruit 200 pilots and other staff following the best performance for its cargo division in its 62-year history last year, reports said Friday (Jan. 21).

The country’s largest carrier might have seen passenger travel decline amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but its freight business flourished as Taiwan’s exports surged due to healthy global demand for semiconductors and electronic products.

CAL said its search for pilots was continuous, but registration for the other job offers, including engineers, repair workers, and accountants, would start soon and remain open until Feb. 14, CNA reported. The airline said it would hold information sessions for candidate pilots at universities and science parks in north, central, and south Taiwan during February.

Once the new pilots confirmed for employment, CAL would send them overseas for basic training courses. Outside recruitment stopped two years ago due to the COVID pandemic, the report said.