Just in case you're missing Vetty

[hobnob]

That doesn't explain how they can work here as their declared earnings need to be over 38K

The obvious answer would be "They don't".

The Daily Mail article refers to Home Office stats for the 3 years leading up to Mar 2024. It also links to this blog post, which seems to be the original source for the story:
Skilled Work Visas and Shaggy Dog Stories | COMPAS

"For instance, people debating the merits of admitting skilled workers might not have been thinking about “air travel assistants” - the cabin crew and people who check your bag at the airport. In the year ending March 2024, 869 visas were issued for these roles.
[..]
The increase in the Skilled Worker salary threshold appears to have ended the recruitment of cabin crew – no visas have been issued to air travel assistants since April 2024, when the threshold rose to £38,700 (or £30,960 for under 26s), according to FOI data."

I.e. the people who got work visas for these jobs prior to 2024 did it when the minimum salary was lower.
* Up until Mar 2023, the minimum salary was £25,200
* From Mar 2023 to Apr 2024, the minimum salary was £26,000
* From Apr 2024 onwards, the minimum salary was £38,700