Less than a year after it made a £3.3m loss Exeter Airport is flying high again and has started a recruitment drive.
The Devon company has created 30 jobs and as it gears up for the holiday season – including the start of new flights to the USA.
The airport, which currently employs about 240 personnel, will be holding a recruitment day on Wednesday, February 16 in the main departures terminal from noon until 7pm.
It is looking to fill a wide range of posts including passenger services, ground crew, security (including Royal Mail screeners), cleaners, wildlife control, and finance. There are full- and part-time, permanent and temporary jobs available.
Airport staff receive a range of benefits including free on-site parking while on duty, free airport parking when they go on holiday, discounts on holidays and with onsite retailers including WH Smith and World Duty Free, and a pension scheme.
The recruitment drive comes as the airport recovers from the effects of the Covid pandemic. Like many regional airports, Exeter’s was badly affected by lockdowns and travel restrictions.
In September 2020, East Devon District Council approved a £1m bailout to stave off a “worst case scenario” of closure.
Accounts for Exeter and Devon Airport Ltd for the year to March 31, 2021, showed a 73% fall in turnover, down from £24.2m to £6.4m, leading to an operating loss of £3.3m - a huge 531% increase on the £528,000 loss made in the previous, non-Covid, year.
Passenger numbers plummeted to 27,000 from 953,000 and the 21,000 flights were fewer than half the number in 2019/20 (43,000).
But the airport has recovered and has 28 UK and international destinations available from Exeter as it builds back its route network following the pandemic and the loss of regional operator Flybe, which went out of business in 2020 and then saw a new Flybe company formed and base itself at Birmingham.
In 2021, the first electric commuter flight in the UK took off at Exeter Airport, as part of a successful bid to UK Research and Innovation’s £30m Future Flight Challenge. Ampaire, a leader in electric aviation, is leading a consortium testing regional electric aviation transport.
Stephen Wiltshire, who was appointed managing director of Exeter Airport in December 2021, said: “With pent-up demand for holidays abroad and the launch of our USA flights, we’re anticipating a busy season ahead at Exeter Airport and need to recruit around 30 staff over the next few months.
“There are a range of roles available with great career opportunities so we hope local people will come along and find out more about working at their local Airport.”
Exeter Airport is owned and operated by RCA, part of Rigby Group Plc. RCA is the UK’s leading regional airport operator and also owns and operates Bournemouth Airport, Norwich Airport and Coventry Airport, and holds management contracts for Blackpool Airport and Solent Airport.
Exeter Airport recently published its full schedule for 2022/23 with 28 destinations in eight countries, including flights to the USA and Canada via Dublin with Air Lingus from April. Passengers can book a flight from Exeter to New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington or Toronto and enjoy through-ticketing, automatic baggage transfer and pre-clearance of all US immigration and customs checks in Dublin.
