Employees who lost their jobs due to the collapse of regional airline Flybe should apply to EasyJet and Ryanair, the two low-cost carriers say.
Flybe went into administration on Saturday, putting 277 employees out of work.
The British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa) said it received calls from concerned Flybe staff in the early hours of Saturday morning.
But union leader Martin Chalk said there were jobs “out there”.
EasyJet said it had 250 cabin crew vacancies.
Ryanair has posted a message in the careers section of its website stating that there are vacancies in all categories including pilots, engineers and ground staff.
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“Of course there is excitement and concern,” said Mr Chalk, general secretary of Balpa.
Some employees had already had a similar experience when Flybe collapsed three years ago, he said. When that happened, the airline laid off 2,000 employees and then restarted in April last year.
“The upside is that the market is a little livelier this time than before now that Covid is largely in the rear view mirror,” Mr Chalk said.
Airlines are also determined to avoid a repeat of last year’s disaster, when staff shortages caused thousands of flight cancellations, passengers were stranded and demanding compensation.
Flybe has canceled all scheduled flights to and from the UK after taking office – affecting a total of 75,000 passengers. Passengers are looking for alternative travel options.
However, most Flybe employees are unlikely to be left out of the loop, airline analyst John Strickland said.
“My expectation is that the airlines have not yet completed their recruitment for the summer, so there will be gaps and opportunities,” he said.
A post on Ryanair’s website encouraged Flybe employees to apply for new jobs with the airline.
“[Ryanair has] Positions for all of you in all areas of our business, including flight crew, cabin crew, engineers, ground crew and office staff,” it said.
EasyJet said it is not currently advertising for pilots but would encourage Flybe cabin crew to apply for the 250 vacancies it has at Gatwick and Luton airports.
Flybe’s cabin crew would be expedited and could start work after 10 days, EasyJet said. Successful applicants for positions in the head office could be recorded quickly within 14 days.
Flybe first went into administration in March 2020, thrown off course by the pandemic, which has seen almost all flights grounded. It was bailed out by Thyme Opco, a firm affiliated with US hedge fund Cyrus Capital, and restarted in early 2022, but as a much smaller operator.
It meant there were far fewer jobs at stake this time, airline analyst John Strickland said.
“[And] It’s definitely a more hopeful time for employees,” he said. “The original Flybe company collapsed with around 70 planes and we just got into the industry wide shock that Covid caused.
“By contrast, the revived Flybe, with only about five aircraft, comes at a time when we are trying to put Covid well behind us, a time when airlines are bullish on bookings.”
Both Ryanair and EasyJet appear to be in a strong position to hire staff, he added.
Ryanair is already back to profitability, weathering the challenges of the past year, and chief executive Micheal O’Leary recently told the Financial Times he sees “no signs” of the current economic slowdown hitting the airlines.
EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren told the BBC his company had seen sales recover and cut losses.
Mr Strickland said Flybe has been unable to capitalize on the return in travel demand due to stiff competition, rising fuel prices and because the airline lacks “a clear and defensible business strategy”.
Balpa’s Mr Chalk said he would like to work with the sector and government to ensure there is a more stable market rather than “the brain drain” of companies picking employees from one another.
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