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| Image: EasyJet |
If cabin crew members do not leave during the busy summer season, British low-cost airline easyJet will pay them a £1,000′ recognition’ bonus.
The bonus is thought to be an attempt to avoid a potential employment problem, which has already affected other airlines such as British Airways.
EasyJet’s representative stated that the airline hoped to return to pre-pandemic levels of flying this summer, but that the aviation industry is struggling to hire and retain staff to meet the increased demand.
EasyJet currently feels it has enough staff to meet expected demand, but only if it can slow down the rate at which employees are quitting. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the industry has altered, and many airline employees are considering a career change.
However, once October hits, EasyJet will transition to its slower-paced winter schedule and will reduce cabin crew staffing.
easyJet stated in a statement that it plans to award “cabin crew a recognition payment at the conclusion of the summer season to recognize their contribution to the operation this summer, which is projected to be back around 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic” at the end of the summer season.
The extra is similar to the £1,000 ‘golden handshake’ offered by British Airways to job applicants for certain in-demand positions. BA has confessed that it is having difficulty recruiting ground service workers at Heathrow Airport in London, as well as experiencing bottlenecks in cabin crew recruitment.
Despite the high demand for cabin crew positions, BA has concentrated its incentive program on candidates who have completed security vetting and already have an airport pass that allows them to enter the secure ‘airside’ area.
The majority of British Airways’ recruitment problems, according to the airline, are due to referencing delays that are not under its control.
EasyJet confirmed last week that it was reducing seats from some planes so that it could operate with fewer cabin crew. Some Airbus A319 aircraft will have an entire row of six seats eliminated in order to operate with only three cabin personnel.
Although Airbus certified the A319 to be operated with as few as three cabin crew members, EasyJet’s A319s are configured for 156 passengers, and European laws require one cabin crew member for every 50 seats or part thereof.
The seats must be physically removed to bypass the regulations