Air League to easyJet

Very much oversubscribed, easyJet last Monday hosted a behind-the-scenes visit to its Luton Airport headquarters for Air League members.

The timing could not have been more thought-provoking, with Thomas Cook Airlines going into administration overnight. EasyJet says it has around 200 cabin crew and 20 co-pilot positions to fill for the coming year.  

The easyJet Luton Training Academy is within the airport and it was here the tour began with an introduction to the airline, which carries 90m passengers annually and is growing.  It operates 315 Airbus aircraft on 1,000 routes into 160 airports and employs 20,000 staff. 

Pilot recruits require five GCSE grade C or above, including Maths, English and Science. They can become captains by 26. Yes, we were told, it is more expensive than going to university but more rewarding. We were briefed on some of the aircraft’s safety precautions and equipment.

Then to Operations, where cabin staff and flight deck crews team for each flight. EasyJet allows 2hr from check-in to take-off, and that includes security. The pressure is such that just 7min working time is allowed for the turnaround. The Integrated Control Centre (ICC) includes Operations, Crewing, Flight Planning, Engineering and Flight Operations. All staff are shareholders and there was a great spirit about the place.

www.airleague.co.uk

www.easyjet.com

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