Jet2 announces pilot recruitment drive as it looks to fill 1700 jobs

The budget airline is looking to add 1700 new roles across its flight operations

Jet2 says it will visit airports across the country in a bid to recruit new pilots, cabin crew and ground staff (PA WIRE)

Low-cost airline Jet2.com is hiring 1,700 new employees across the UK.

The company said on Thursday that it was adding 900 cabin crew and over 700 ground staff roles as well as 180 pilots.

It said that 34 new Boeing 737 planes were being delivered to the company between 2016 and 2019, fuelling demand for new pilots.

The low-cost airline operates from nine UK airports, and has recently opened new bases at Birmingham and London Stansted.

Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2.com, said he is “delighted to be creating so many opportunities”.

The company said it would be hosting roadshows across the country to find the right staff.

European budget airline carriers have seen rapid growth in recent years, stretching to meet demand for cheap longhaul flights.

In July, Icelandic airline Primera Air announced budget transatlantic flights between Scandinavia and the US.

In April, Norwegian Airlines launched flights to Singapore.

But Brexit is a lingering concern for the industry.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary warned in August that planes could be grounded in the summer of 2019 after Brexit, if agreements are not put in place to ensure the aviation industry can continue to operate as it currently does.