Long-haul airline Virgin Atlantic is recruiting for up to 200 new pilots as it increases its fleet of Boeing and Airbus jets. The demand for First Officers comes as the carrier also adds more destinations to its schedule, featuring its first ever service to Austin, Texas, which launched in May.
Other extra services include a new route to Tampa, Florida, which starts on November 3, alongside a seasonal service to Cape Town, South Africa, commencing on November 5. Virgin Atlantic has one of the youngest, cleanest, and most technologically advanced twin-engine wide-body fleet of any airline.
This includes the A350-1000 aircraft, Boeing 787 Dreamliners and also Virgin Atlantic’s newest aircraft, the A330-900 NEO, which will take to the skies in October 2022 with a redesigned Upper Class cabin. The airline will take delivery of three A330-900 NEO aircraft in 2022 with the remaining 13 deliveries following between 2023 and 2026.
Following the impact of the pandemic, Virgin Atlantic was the first airline to create a holding pool to welcome back pilots and cabin crew when increased flying allowed. All the hold pool pilots who passed interview have re-joined or have confirmed start dates and Virgin Atlantic is now ready to restart external recruitment.
The airline, which is recruiting flight deck crew for the first time since 2020, anticipates it will need 100 additional officers by Summer 2023 with a further 60 pilots by Summer 2024 and a further 40 by Summer 2025. Estelle Hollingsworth, Chief People Officer, said: “Our pilots head up our flying operation every day, making the difference that our customers see and feel when they fly Virgin Atlantic.
The latest round of pilot recruitment follows a new round of cabin crew employment earlier in the year which saw a record number of applications – 10,000 applicants for 800 roles – in particular from ethnically diverse backgrounds, alongside those who felt comfortable to disclose disabilities.
In June 2022, in line with its focus on inclusion and individuality, the airline relaxed its tattoo policy for all its uniformed staff including pilots, meaning visible tattoos no longer need to be hidden, encouraging every person to be truly themselves.
Virgin Atlantic is working with Zenon as an exclusive recruitment partner. For further information and to apply visit https://virg.in/FirstOfficers
