easyJet doubles over-50 cabin crew as 2027 UK hiring looms

easyJet’s latest recruitment push is sharpening its focus on older workers, with publicly available data showing the number of new cabin crew aged over 50 has more than doubled in recent years as the airline prepares for its next major UK hiring wave ahead of the 2027 summer season.

Targeted campaigns boost over-50 hiring

Published material from easyJet and recent news coverage indicate that the low-cost carrier has seen rapid growth in older cabin crew since it began targeting over-45s and over-50s in 2022. Company reports describe a marked shift in its workforce demographics, with over-50 hires more than doubling and hires over 60 increasing roughly fourfold compared with pre-2022 levels. These figures reflect a wider UK labour market trend in which more people in their fifties and sixties are returning to work or changing careers.

The airline’s own age-diversity narrative highlights that this growth has come from a series of focused campaigns aimed at people who previously assumed aviation careers were out of reach. According to easyJet’s corporate reporting, a recruitment initiative directed specifically at candidates aged 50 and above generated a double-digit percentage rise in over-50 cabin crew hiring and attracted substantial mainstream media attention, helping to reposition the role as a realistic midlife or later-life career move.

Recent coverage in the UK press underlines how the strategy is reshaping the cabin crew profile. Articles summarising the airline’s hiring data note that over-50 crew numbers have more than doubled since 2022, while the number of crew in their sixties has almost quadrupled over the same period. This indicates that what began as a targeted pilot programme has evolved into a structural change in how easyJet sources and evaluates frontline talent.

Industry observers point out that this approach aligns with broader efforts across the UK economy to keep experienced workers engaged in the labour market. Studies cited in easyJet’s own publications argue that closing the employment gap for people over 50 could add billions of pounds to UK GDP each year, suggesting an economic as well as operational rationale for the airline’s age-inclusive hiring strategy.

‘Returnship’ and myth-busting for late career changers

A centrepiece of the airline’s shift towards older workers is its so-called “Returnship” initiative, launched as part of its annual cabin crew recruitment campaigns. Publicly available descriptions of the programme explain that it is designed for people in their fifties and beyond who are curious about cabin crew work but unsure whether their age or career history fits the role. The initiative offers online information sessions and practical insight into the job and training, with the aim of demystifying the recruitment process.

Research commissioned by easyJet and referenced in its media materials suggests a large pool of potential applicants in this age group. Surveys cited by the airline indicate that nearly three-quarters of over-50s believe it is the ideal time of life to make a career change. At the same time, a significant majority express concern that their age would prevent them being accepted for cabin crew roles, highlighting a gap between interest and perceived opportunity that the Returnship model aims to close.

Campaign imagery and case studies promoted by the airline feature crew members who joined in their fifties and sixties, including individuals who switched from careers in the military, retail, and other sectors. These examples are intended to underscore the message that customer-service skills, resilience and life experience are core hiring criteria, rather than age. According to published materials, this visible representation has helped shift applicant perceptions and has contributed to the surge in over-50 and over-60 hires since 2022.

In addition to its focus on returners and career changers, easyJet has signalled that it wants to normalise multi-generational cabin crews as part of its brand. Company reports point to awards for recruitment campaigns that bring together different generations, suggesting that the airline sees reputational and service benefits in presenting a crew mix that reflects a wide range of ages and backgrounds on board.

Preparing the next UK cabin crew intake for 2027

On its careers portal, easyJet states that it is currently finalising cabin crew requirements for the 2027 summer season, indicating that a fresh recruitment window for UK bases is expected in the coming months. While applications for some roles and locations periodically close as demand is met, the airline has signalled that new cabin crew opportunities will reopen as planning for the 2027 schedule progresses.

Historically, the airline’s large-scale recruitment drives have been announced well ahead of peak summer operations and have included hundreds of positions across major UK airports such as London Gatwick, Luton, Bristol, Manchester and others. Based on recent campaigns for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, observers expect the next round of hiring for 2027 to follow a similar pattern, combining online applications with assessment days and training courses at easyJet’s UK training centres.

Recent recruitment initiatives for other demographics, including younger applicants not in employment, education or training, suggest that the 2027 drive will continue to target a broad talent pool rather than focusing solely on one age group. However, published commentary from the airline indicates that the successful over-50 campaigns are now embedded in its long-term hiring strategy, making it likely that older applicants will again be a visible priority as 2027 roles open.

For prospective over-50 candidates in the UK, the message in easyJet’s public-facing material is that upcoming recruitment cycles will continue to welcome late career changers. Application guidance on the careers site emphasises customer-facing experience, teamwork and safety awareness over a narrow age range. This, combined with evidence that over-50 hiring has already more than doubled, signals that the airline expects older workers to remain a key part of its cabin crew growth plans for 2027.

Age-inclusive hiring reshapes the cabin crew role

Analysts following aviation labour markets note that easyJet’s experience with over-50 recruitment is part of a broader recalibration of what a typical cabin crew career looks like. Rather than being framed exclusively as a first job in travel or hospitality, the role is increasingly depicted in recruitment material as a viable second or third career for people bringing decades of experience from other sectors.

According to industry coverage, the airline reports operational benefits from this shift. Older recruits often arrive with extensive customer-service backgrounds, conflict-resolution skills and familiarity with safety-critical environments, which can shorten the learning curve during initial training. This complements younger recruits, who may bring digital skills and different perspectives, resulting in more diverse crew teams.

Publicly available commentary also suggests that the focus on older workers has helped easyJet differentiate itself in a competitive hiring environment. With many travel and hospitality businesses reporting recruitment challenges over recent years, the airline’s age-inclusive campaigns have generated positive media attention and awards for innovation, reinforcing its positioning as a large employer willing to rethink long-standing assumptions about who can work in frontline aviation roles.

For passengers, the most visible outcome of this shift is a more varied cabin crew mix on board, with teams that include people at multiple life stages. While performance data by age is not publicly broken out, the airline’s decision to scale up its over-50 recruitment efforts for future seasons, including 2027, suggests that customer feedback and internal metrics have supported the continuation of this model.

What older UK applicants can expect

For UK-based applicants considering applying as cabin crew for the 2027 season, published recruitment information points to a multi-step process that begins online. Candidates are typically asked to confirm they meet core requirements such as right to work, language skills and height and reach parameters, before submitting a CV and completing initial screening questions. Successful applicants are then invited to assessment events, which can include group exercises and individual interviews.

easyJet’s age-focused communications emphasise that older applicants should not be discouraged by the physical aspects of the role, provided they can meet standard safety and medical criteria. Training outlines describe coursework in safety, emergency procedures and customer service, alongside practical sessions in simulators and water-based exercises. Company descriptions stress that all new crew, regardless of age, complete the same mandatory training and operate under the same safety standards once qualified.

For those over 50, the airline’s own messaging suggests that previous work history is often an asset rather than a barrier. Experience in care, retail, emergency services, the military or other customer-facing roles is presented as particularly relevant. Public information highlights examples of people joining after their children have left home or following redundancy or early retirement from other careers, underlining the idea that cabin crew work can form part of a later-life employment portfolio.

With easyJet signalling that it is finalising its staffing needs for summer 2027 and will reopen applications accordingly, prospective applicants in this age bracket are being encouraged, through the airline’s public campaigns, to monitor the careers site for new postings. Given that over-50 and over-60 hiring has already increased sharply since 2022, the forthcoming recruitment wave is likely to further entrench older workers as a permanent and growing segment of the airline’s cabin crew community.

easyJet: Over 50s Soar to New Heights – Returnship initiative

easyJet: Changing demographics in aviation employment

easyJet Careers: Cabin crew information and recruitment updates

The Independent: easyJet targets older workers in cabin crew drive