In support of its ongoing expansion into new markets, Hawaiian Airlines is holding group interviews starting this Wednesday at which approximately 2,600 applicants are being interviewed for 240 new flight attendant positions.

All applicants have already been pre-registered for interviews by Hawaiian.

Hawaiian is especially interested in hiring Mandarin-speaking flight attendants as part of this recruitment effort.

On Monday, Hawaiian announced it will begin offering nonstop flights, three days weekly between Taipei, Taiwan and Honolulu next July, making it the ninth new gateway that the airline has introduced or announced within the past two years.

Hawaiian will also be launching nonstop service, three days weekly, to Auckland, New Zealand next March.

Hawaiian currently has more than 4,800 employees, the most in the company’s history, which includes the hiring of more than 500 new employees this year.

Including the hiring of new flight attendants, Hawaiian plans to add more than 500 new employees in 2013.