EasyJet is expanding its recruitment drive for older cabin crew, as new figures show the number of staff over 50 has more than doubled and those over 60 have nearly quadrupled since the airline launched an initiative to attract them in 2022. The move comes amid research suggesting older workers who switch careers report significant gains in happiness and confidence, challenging assumptions that cabin crew roles are best suited to younger applicants.

The airline said 12 per cent of its cabin crew are now over 50, following a 127 per cent rise in this group since 2022. EasyJet's research found 80 per cent of UK adults who changed career after 50 reported improved overall happiness, citing greater control over their lives, increased capability and confidence as key factors. Among those who have benefited is 64-year-old Francesca Hicks, a former secretary and dementia care nurse who has since flown as cabin crew over 250 times. Applications for hundreds of new roles across easyJet's UK bases open in September, with the airline and government ministers both welcoming the scheme's success.