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Airlines at Gatwick are competing to hire new pilots with high salaries as staff shortages continue in post-pandemic air travel.
EasyJet and British Airways, the aviation hub’s largest operators, both fly versions of the Airbus A320 commercial aircraft with recruitment efforts aimed at pilots who have the same training.
Pilot training programmes and hiring were largely frozen during Covid, and as passenger numbers recover, a lack of air staff to operate flights has been reported.
EasyJet is currently offering captains an annual salary of up to £170k including variable pay, dependent on experience.
Flag carrier airline BA returned to Gatwick in March 2022 with a new shorthaul EuroFlyer division after focusing on flights from Heathrow during Covid.
Top salaries at BA start around £138,000 according to industry sources, reports The Times.
An easyJet job advert on LinkedIn for “A320 rated” captains at London Gatwick in 2025 says the roles offer “fantastic development opportunities based on merit, not seniority”.
Listed benefits include generous leave allowance, complimentary food and drink during flights, and staff travel discounts across the industry.
According to the airline, recruitment efforts and competitive salaries are not a result of a pilot shortage. It says this is part of the normal hiring process.
British Airways’ Speedbird Pilot Academy recruitment programme announced a £21m investment in July to fund training for 200 prospective pilots.
The airline is currently hiring pilots at London Gatwick for BA EuroFlyer with a starting salary of £61,648 plus allowances circa £14,000.
Management consulting firm Oliver Wyman forecast in 2022 that the global aviation industry could be short nearly 80,000 pilots by 2032.
A spokesperson for easyJet said: “EasyJet is growing and so this recruitment is part of our normal process to hire pilots ahead of the next summer season alongside our usual internal promotions.”
In April, easyJet reopened applications for their 2024 Pilot Training Programme in a drive to recruit 1000 new captains by 2028.
The two-year intensive course also aims to encourage more women to consider careers in aviation.
Captain Kate West, pilot training manager at easyJet, said: “We are delighted to reopen applications for this year’s Generation easyJet Pilot Training Programme as part of our drive to recruit 1,000 new pilots and encourage more people to join this fantastic profession.
“The training to become a pilot focuses on skills such as communication and problem solving, so when working as a team in the flight deck, diversity is incredibly valuable.”
Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, has been following events at Gatwick almost since he was born just south of the runway.
He said: “British Airways has long had a problem maintaining a profitable business at Gatwick, which has always played second fiddle to the BA operation at Heathrow.
“Post-Covid, the BA EuroFlyer subsidiary was set up to allow the airline to keep costs down and compete effectively with easyJet. But with pilots in short supply, attracting and retaining flight crew is tough.
“What British Airways can offer that easyJet cannot is the prospect of moving to the longhaul network – as well as travel perks that reach around the world.
“For the passenger, it’s crucial that easyJet faces strong competition at Gatwick. Ryanair is almost non-existent; Wizz Air has only a small presence; and so it’s down to BA to be the main rival for easyJet.”
The Independent has contacted British Airways for comment.
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast
