easyJet has said the number of its cabin crew aged over 50 has risen by 127% since 2022, and it is preparing to open applications next month for hundreds of new crew jobs across its UK bases in 2027. Around one in ten of the airline’s cabin crew, 12%, are now over 50, while the number aged over 60 has almost quadrupled over the same period.
For UK business travellers, the shift is one of the more visible changes on board a short-haul network many use weekly. Crew recruitment sits directly behind the reliability of early-morning departures and the standard of service on routes SME travellers depend on, and filling hundreds of roles ahead of summer 2027 will shape how well its UK bases cope with peak demand.
What the easyJet cabin crew recruitment drive involves
Applications open from September 2026, with opportunities available across the airline’s UK bases. The push builds on an initiative first launched in 2022 to attract older workers, and on a 2024 Returnships scheme that offered free taster sessions to hundreds of career changers over 50.
Research published by easyJet alongside the campaign found that 80% of UK adults who changed career after 50 reported an improvement in their overall happiness. Key drivers included regaining a sense of control over life and work, cited by 78%, feeling more capable at 74% and increased confidence at 71%. Some 65% wished they had done it sooner. Travel and tourism emerged as the most attractive sector for a career change after 50, with the most common reasons for switching being job flexibility at 41%, greater satisfaction and fulfilment at 38% and wanting new experiences at 32%.
Perceptions have been a barrier. Before applying, 28% assumed cabin crew was a job for younger workers and 46% worried they would be the oldest in their intake.
Why an older crew mix matters on board
The airline says the change has fed a mentoring culture in the cabin, with 53% of over 50s surveyed saying they feel like a mentor to younger colleagues and 76% agreeing that age does not matter on board. Among crew surveyed, 68% said travellers of all ages are happy to see multi-generational representation.
Four in five UK adults who changed career after 50, 79%, now regard their age as an asset rather than a barrier. The transferable skills they cited, problem-solving at 40%, staying calm in unexpected or stressful situations at 35% and strong communication at 33%, are the ones that matter most to a business traveller when a flight goes wrong.
One of them is Francesca Hicks, 64, a former secretary and nurse for people living with dementia. Eighteen months after joining, she has flown more than 250 times.
“When the opportunity to join easyJet as cabin crew came up, I jumped at the chance. I knew I already held all the skills required for the job, but it gave me another way to use my communication, organisation and interpersonal skills in a new and exciting setting,” she said.
A hiring push across the UK base network
Michael Brown, Director of Cabin Services at easyJet, said: “It’s been incredibly encouraging to see the numbers of cabin crew over 50 more than double since 2022 – evidence that many are increasingly viewing cabin crew as a fantastic career pivot regardless of age.
“With hundreds of cabin crew roles set to be available across the UK, we would encourage even more to apply, and we look forward to seeing this community at easyJet grow further in the years to come.”
Minister for Employment Andrew Western MP said supportive employers “know the breadth of experience over 50s can bring to the workforce, and it shows what can be achieved when this is valued”, pointing to the government’s Get Britain Working mission.
The recruitment comes as the airline expands its UK flying, having added three new UK routes for summer 2026 and opened a base at London Southend, and after it held its 2026 outlook steady earlier this year. Details of the roles are on the easyJet careers site.
