Empowering needs to spread their wings with sky-high career

easyJet is launching a new cabin crew recruitment drive. The new initiative Flight Paths, is targeting young Brits ‘not in employment, education or training’ (NEET) to help their careers take off, and to show how accessible and rewarding a job as cabin crew can be. The airline is set to recruit nearly 1,000 new cabin crew for 2026 as part of its annual recruitment drive, and is encouraging young adults and school leavers, many of whom will be looking for their next step after receiving their A-level results at the moment, to consider applying. Interest can be registered on the easyJet website now.

Michael Brown, Director of Cabin Services at easyJet, commented: “We want to show young people that being cabin crew is more than just a job - it’s a career filled with variety, teamwork and opportunity, which has so much to offer to so many people as well as offering a pathway to progress in working within our wider industry too. If you have enthusiasm, people skills and a willingness to learn something new, our taster sessions could be the perfect first step towards a new opportunity. We can’t wait to welcome a new generation of cabin crew on board.”

Aviation Minister Mike Kane, said: “It’s fantastic to see British firm easyJet investing in our young people, encouraging and inspiring them into careers in aviation. We are determined to break down barriers to opportunity in the UK to deliver our Plan for Change so everyone can pursue and progress in rewarding careers.”

The Flight Paths initiative follows latest ONS figures*, which revealed that nearly one million young people in the UK are currently classed as NEETs, accounting for 12.5% of the UK’s youth population – something cabin crew recruitment and sectoral growth could help bring down. However, new research commissioned by easyJet of 2,000 Brits aged 16-24 shows that there are still misconceptions around the role of cabin crew which are preventing young people from pursuing it as a career.

Indeed, a considerable 92% were unaware that there are no minimum educational qualifications required to apply for the job, with two in three (66%) young Brits believing they would be underqualified for cabin crew training. As a result, almost nine in ten (88%) 16-24 years olds have never considered a career working for an airline – even though over half (59%) say they’d be interested in a career in aviation.

The research also reveals that 89% of young men believe there is still a misconception that cabin crew is typically a role for women. As a result, around a third (38%) British men say they previously wouldn’t consider doing the job because of the traditional gender stereotypes around the role.

To break down these barriers, easyJet will be opening the doors of its London Gatwick Training Centre this summer to offer free hands-on taster sessions, providing the opportunity to find out more about the job directly from the airline’s cabin crew and training experts. Book your place here.

The sessions will showcase how the job is a great opportunity to gain valuable life skills such as communication, team management, and problem-solving, while providing travel opportunities and career progression – with one in four (26%) 18-24s saying they would be interested in a job that includes travel abroad, and 28% keen for a career that would involve being part of a team.

The Flight Paths initiative is the latest in easyJet’s ongoing work to support early career and youth employment, including its Enterprise Advisors Programme - which sees easyJet employees from across the business including Engineering, IT, Data and Operations partnered with local schools in the Luton and Gatwick areas, where the airline has its largest UK operations, to provide careers advice and employability support to young people.

To offer further insight into their sky-high careers, easyJet cabin crew and recruitment experts have shared their personal experiences, including what inspired them to join the aviation industry, advice on the application process and CV tips, in a series of voice notes which can be listened to at SoundCloud.

Natalie Puncher, who joined easyJet as Cabin Crew after leaving school in 2002 and is now Head of Customer and Inflight Standards, said: "I joined easyJet as cabin crew a year after leaving school and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve gained so much confidence, met amazing people and travelled to places I never thought I’d see, all while building a career. Every day is different and I’ve learnt skills that I’ll carry with me for life."