The low-cost carrier easyJet wants to hire 1,000 new pilots within the next five years.

For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, easyJet is reintroducing its pilot training scheme and is encouraging everyone to consider a pilot career.

Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, said: “We are delighted to be reopening our pilot training program again for the first time since the pandemic hit and will see us recruit over 1,000 new pilots in the coming years.

To attract candidates, easyJet started a new campaign with captain Iris de Kan and two senior FOs at easyJet – Nina Le and Aaron Moseley. Captain Iris de Kan, a Mum-of-two, is seen in one of the ads with five-year-old daughter Kiki, and easyJet said it illustrates that people with good multitasking skills can become excellent pilots. Former gymnast and now a senior first officer with easyJet, Nina Le, performs a split leap on the tarmac, showcasing her outstanding reactions and hand-eye coordination. easyJet senior first officer Aaron Moseley, a former resident DJ, decided to train for a new profession seven years ago. His hands-on practical skills have enabled him to switch records for runways.

“easyJet has long championed greater diversity in the flight deck and this series of ads aims to highlight the extraordinary breadth of skills our pilots have and show that pilots can be found in all walks of life, in a bid to attract more diverse candidates.

“We continue to focus on challenging gendered stereotypes of the career having doubled the number of female pilots flying with us in recent years.