British Airways hiring pilots for new short-haul airline at Gatwick

British Airways hires pilots for new short-haul airline at Gatwick as it races to launch first flights next spring


British Airways is hiring pilots for a new short-haul airline at Gatwick as it races to launch the first flights next spring. 

Job adverts posted last week show BA will pay captains up to £105,000 to fly A320 aircraft on direct routes to Europe. It is also recruiting cabin crew, who will earn up to £27,800 a year. 

The recruitment drive is the strongest sign yet that BA’s long-held plans to launch the airline will get off the ground, after months of wrangling with trade unions over pay and conditions. 

Hiring: Job adverts show BA will pay captains up to £105,000 to fly A320 aircraft on direct routes to Europe

It is expected to call the airline BA EuroFlyer, based on company documents registering it this month. Thomas Stoddart, managing director of BA CityFlyer, is a director. 

It still has final negotiations to complete before it can formally launch the airline, but needs to start recruiting now to be ready for next summer’s flying season, which starts at the end of March. 

It is understood that BA offered the roles to pilots in its ‘pool’ of redundant staff laid off during the pandemic before advertising on its careers site. 

The pilots’ salary includes basic and variable pay, based on the number of hours flown. The ad for the captains said they must show ‘flexibility’ to work with ‘a start-up team’, adding: ‘This is a rare opportunity to be involved in the building of an airline from day one, but with the benefits of the foundations and security of the wider BA Group.’ 

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