EasyJet to offer staff £1,000 bonus amid recruitment drive

Airlines worldwide have struggled to recruit new staff following pandemic cuts

An easyJet A319 (Getty Images)

The budget airline easyJet will offer new and existing staff a £1,000 bonus at the end of this summer season.

The carrier said the bonus would thank staff for their hard work in a hugely busy season for travel, as holidaymakers return to the skies.

Last month British Airways announced it would be giving new joiners the same amount as a “golden hello” if they could start work before July, with £500 paid after an employee’s first three months and £500 paid after six months.

Airlines across the UK cut thousands of jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic, and many have struggled to scale up staff in time for a summer holiday rush following the easing of travel restrictions.

Both British Airways and easyJet have been forced to cancel hundreds of flights at short notice over the past two months, with spokespeople for both carrier attributing the problem to staff absences and sickness.

Last week easyJet announced that it will remove the back row of seats from its fleet of A319 aircraft, in order to operate flights with one fewer crew member.

UK legislation dictates that each flight must have “one member of the cabin crew for every 50 or fraction of 50 passenger seats installed in the aircraft.”

The move will reduce capacity on some of the carrier’s planes from 156 to 150 passengers.

Airports across the UK, Ireland and wider Europe have also suffered from staff shortages and slow recruitment, with some airport bosses pointing to a slow vetting process for “airside” staff, overseen by government in the UK.

The process involves a potential employee’s previous five years of employment and criminal record being scrutinised before they are vetted by the UK Security Vetting (UKSV) service, part of the Cabinet Office.

Last week easyJet launched a new recruitment campaign aiming to tackle job stereotypes and inspire more young people to consider a career in aviation - including encouraging more girls to become pilots.

The airline has released a recruitment film based on scenes from the ’80s blockbuster film Top Gun, with the male lead roles recast with women and girls.