New Saudi Arabian airline to launch with all-Boeing Fleet.......up to 72 Dreamliners

US planemaker Boeing has done a massive deal, potentially with one of the globe's newest air carriers, Riyadh Air, which will see the new Saudi Arabian airline launch with a fleet of 787 Dreamliners.  

Owned by Saudi Arabia's current rulers' Public Investment Fund, the new airline will purchase 39 Boeing 787-9s aircraft, with options for an additional 33 787-9s. These will be based at the HQ of the airline, Riyadh. 

Saudi Arabia's leaders are seeking to completely transform the nation's aviation industry and develop to be a global hub that will see it rival Dubai and Abu Dhabi. 

"The new airline reflects the ambitious vision of Saudi Arabia to be at the core of shaping the future of global air travel and be a true disrupter in terms of customer experience," said Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air.

Emirates to add second daily flight to London Stansted.

Emirates is rapidly ramping up seat capacity in its latest published northern summer schedule starting 26 March 2023, which will see the carrier add a second daily flight to London Stansted. This will take Emirates’ London operations to 11 daily flights – including 6 times daily to London Heathrow and 3 times daily to Gatwick.

In the past months, the airline has planned and executed the rapid growth of its network operations - reintroducing services to 5 cities; launching flights to 1 new destination (Tel Aviv), adding 251 weekly flights onto existing routes; and continuing the roll-out of service enhancements in the air and on the ground.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “Emirates continues to expand its global network and deploy its capacity to meet travel demand across the world. Our financial year started relatively quietly as we held back our ramp up until the planned northern runway rehabilitation program at Dubai International airport was completed in June. From July 2022 onwards, it’s been non-stop expansion.”

He added: “Customer demand has been very strong, and our forward bookings are also robust. Emirates is working hard on several fronts - to bring back operating capacity as quickly as the ecosystem can manage, while also upgrading our fleet and product to ensure our customers always enjoy the best possible Emirates experience. So far, 4 of our A380 aircraft have been completely refurbished with our new cabin interiors and Premium Economy seats, and more will enter service as our US$2 billion cabin and service enhancement program picks up pace.”

In the coming months, established routes to Europe, Australia and Africa will be served with more Emirates flights, while in East Asia, more cities are seeing route restarts.

Jetstar Asia gets ready to relocate to Terminal Four at Singapore's Changi Airport

Jetstar Asia has completed its second orientation flights from Terminal 4, ahead of its move on 22 March 2023.

Jetstar Asia flight 3K512 from Bangkok arrived in Singapore at Changi Airport’s T4 at 12:55 on 9 March, while 3K513 departed from Singapore to Bangkok later that evening at 19:15.

Comments from Jetstar Asia Head of Flight Operations, Captain Geof Lui   “The focus of this second round of orientation flights was to evaluate the process and validate the efficiency with which passengers and their luggage could be transferred between terminals to seamlessly meet onward connections. Following the initial orientation flights, we’ve worked with our airline partners to increase the frequency of shuttle services, both airside and landside, to ensure customers can quickly and easily transfer between terminals from our new home at T4.

To ensure a smooth experience for our customers, these operational trials included system testing at every stage of the journey, from check-in through to boarding to clearing customs.

As we approach our move date, we continue to perform operational tests covering crew communications and procedures, ensuring our entire team is ready to welcome our customers to T4 on 22 March.”  

Jetstar Asia will initially operate more than 230 weekly services in and out of T4, to and from key destinations in Southeast Asia including Bali (Denpasar), Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Phnom Penh.

Jetstar Airways will also operate from T4 and continue to fly between Singapore and Melbourne up to six times a week with the popular route being operated by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying more than 200,000 passengers each year between the two cities.

JetBlue and Shell Aviation to bring new supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX),

New Purchase Agreement Demonstrates Supply Chain Investment in SAF by Shell Aviation and Growing Demand for SAF

JetBlue and Shell Aviation today announced a new collaboration bringing an additional supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), targeting the commencement of delivery in the first half of 2023. Within the terms of the agreement, JetBlue is expected to take delivery of 10,000,000 gallons of blended SAF at LAX over the next two years and an option to purchase up to 5,000,000 gallons more in the third year, either at LAX or other airports in JetBlue’s network.

SAF is a type of renewable fuel that exists today that drops directly into existing aircraft and infrastructure with no impact to safety or performance. SAF can be produced from a wide array of renewable sources such as agricultural wastes and used cooking oils and can lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 80% in its neat form when compared to traditional petroleum-based fuels.

“We’ve long said we need multiple key stakeholders to step up to reach our aggressive emissions reduction goals. This deal with Shell is a key signal of the growing engagement of the major fuel producers to begin converting conventional jet fuel to SAF,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue. “Shell’s involvement, with their expertise in energy markets and logistics, is a validation of the SAF market’s potential and highlights how critical the SAF transition of our hard-to-decarbonize industry is to establishing a more sustainable future of flight.”

Is Flair on the brink of failure.......

The Canadian budget airline Flair is said to be in the very bring of failure after a number of its aircraft were repossessed for non-payment of leases over the weekend and another is due to go at the end of the day. 

Four of the carrier's Boeing 737 MAX jets were grounded by lessors Airborne Capital after the airline ran behind in lease payments with hundreds of passengers' travel plans left in tatters.

Flair's bullish boss Stephen Jones rather than taking responsibility for the issues and doing all he can to resolve them has started to launch unsubstantiated attacks on almost everyone else.   He told local media that Airborne Capital was conspiring with one of the other major Canadian airlines to against Flair and overcharging them for aircraft.  

Jones said:  “We have come in and upset the cozy duopoly, and as a consequence people want us out of business,” said Jones. “We do believe there were negotiations going on behind the scenes between one of the majors and the lessor to, you know, hurt Flair by offering above-market rates for the aircraft we have been leasing.”

He also believes the impounding of aircraft was due to more than just nonpayment of leases, "There are airlines out there that don’t want Flair to exist, and it doesn’t surprise me. We are a challenger to the status quo."  

flynas adding 10 new destinations & routes for summer 2023

The Saudi air carrier and one of the leading low-cost airlines in the Middle East, flynas, has confirmed it will be adding 10 new destinations and routes to its network for this summer. 

Four new destinations will be served out of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, including the Maldives, the Armenian capital of Yerevan, Antalya in Turkey, and Tivat in Montenegro, the Saudi carrier said.

Six new routes will be launched, including four routes from Dammam to Salalah in the Sultanate of Oman, the Turkish cities of Istanbul and Trabzon, and the Albanian capital of Tirana. In addition, two more routes will be operated from Jeddah to Salalah and the Turkish city of Bodrum, flynas added.

Summer destinations and routes already launched as seasonal will be re-operated, including the Czech capital of Prague, Vienna, and Salzburg in Austria, the Azeri capital of Baku, Tbilisi, and Batumi in Georgia, the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, Trabzon and Bodrum in Turkey, Salalah in Oman, flynas stated. The total summer destinations in 2023 became 20 destinations.

Bander Almohanna, CEO of flynas, said that the new destinations and routes of the Saudi carrier reflect the company's commitment to its growth and expansion strategy under the slogan "We Connect the World to the Kingdom" to cement its leading position as the best low-cost airline in the Middle East and one of the top 10 airlines of its category worldwide.

Mobility scooters now available at East Midlands Airport

Four new mobility scooters at East Midlands Airport (EMA) will make it easier for disabled and older passengers to move around the airport.

The scooters have been provided by National Mobility Hire which is the UK’s largest supplier of fleet mobility services. 

Passengers can collect the scooters at the assisted travel desk in the check-in hall to use for getting from check-in, through security to the departure gates.

The scooters will give passengers who find it difficult to walk to the gate the freedom to manage their own journey through the airport allowing them more independence. The agile scooters can easily fit into lifts and tight spaces making it easy to navigate around a busy terminal. If popular with passengers, the airport will consider adding to the fleet next year.

Chris Drury, East Midlands Airport’s Head of Customer Services, said: “We know that many people choose East Midlands Airport because its compact size lends itself to an easier experience. We have invested heavily in our assisted travel services recently and are officially recognised as one of the UK’s top performing airports for accessibility. This latest investment in the scooters gives passengers even more choice and, more importantly, greater independence. We want everyone who uses the airport to enjoy travelling whether going on holiday, for business or to meet with friends and family.”

Fraser Brown, National Mobility Hire’s Director of Sales for UK & Ireland, said: “We have seen a dramatic shift over the last few years with venues and public spaces becoming more accessible to all customers. We are pleased to have played a part in helping them achieve this. We’re delighted to work with East Midlands Airport to supply the scooters which will considerably enhance the experience for passengers.”

The NH90 rescues six in the grip of an offshore storm

The NH90 rescues six in the grip of an offshore storm

The recovery of six people from the storm-torn yacht Don Quijote in 2021 turned into an extraordinary rescue. Lieutenant Jean-Baptiste described a mission he will never forget...

On Monday, 5 July 2021, radio and television reports issued warnings: Storm Zyprian was approaching Brittany, bringing with it winds of more than 110 km/h (60 knots). At the Lanvéoc-Poulmic naval air base everyone knew exactly what this meant. For several decades, the helicopters of Air Naval Squadron 33F have been standing guard. The outstanding Super Frelon that was in service from 1979 to 2010 was replaced in 2011 by the equally impressive NH90 Caïman. However, Public Service (PS) missions have remained essential: they still involve taking off in all weather conditions, facing the raging elements and providing assistance, far out to sea if necessary. Most of the 33F’s resources are based at Lanvéoc-Poulmic (Presqu'ile de Crozon, Brittany), but it also supplies the PS unit in Cherbourg, as well as aircraft and crews on board multi-mission frigates.

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Too far for SNSM’s star

“That day, due to the storm, the Maritime Operations Centre in Brest had placed us on high alert to take off in less than an hour,” explains Lieutenant Jean-Baptiste, aircraft commander at the time. “One aircraft was reserved for this alert, and we had also requested the preparation of a replacement aircraft.”

By the end of the day, the winds had strengthened over the Finistère department and swept relentlessly inland. Further west, on the open sea, it was hell for the occupants of the Don Quijote, a 12 meter Danish sailing vessel facing a force 7 sea, with 8 meter high waves. Shortly after 9 p.m., the vessel was overturned by a breaker and lost its mast. There was only one thing left for the crew to do: activate the distress beacon and wait, hoping that emergency services would be able to face the elements... In the next few minutes, the CROSS (Regional Operational Centre for Monitoring and Rescue) picked up the signal and gave the alert. The sinking vessel was located 80 nautical miles off the coast, west of the Crozon peninsula. This was too far for the SNSM rescue vessel: rescue by helicopter was the only option.

“I was at home, just checking the weather situation when the alert was triggered,” continued Lieutenant Jean-Baptiste. “They quickly explained the situation to me: we knew it was a sailing vessel, we knew its geographical position, but we didn’t know exactly what the problem was. I suggested to the CROSS that the helicopter should be medically equipped and sent out with the French Army Health Service’s SMUR maritime team put on call. I quickly called my helicopter diver and we agreed that we should also take a second diver as backup: the situation on the vessel could be very complicated...”

By the time the emergency crew had gathered and geared up, the aircraft was out of its hangar and ready to go. The procedure is well established: just 38 minutes after the first phone call from CROSS, the NH90 Number 17, call sign Rescue Cyclone Victor, was in the air, heading west. On board were the pilot (also aircraft commander), the TACCO (tactical coordinator and co-pilot), a winch operator, two divers, a doctor and a nurse.

“As soon as we were airborne, we faced very strong headwinds.” The NH90 normally travels at a true speed of 145 knots, but against the wind, our ground speed was only 90 knots. Underneath the aircraft, in the darkness, we could see the sea getting rougher and rougher. It was clear to us that we were in for a challenge...”

Three or four nautical miles from the Don Quijote, the sailing vessel’s distress beacon was picked up by the helicopter’s homing system, which was able to take a direct course towards the vessel. The situation encountered by the crew of the 33F was far from encouraging: the vessel had lost its mast and was out of control. Positioned across the swell, it was being regularly swamped by the waves.

Fraport's 2022 Fiscal Year Marked by Strong Demand

Fraport's 2022 Fiscal Year Marked by Strong Demand

 

 

Group result improves to €166.6 million – CEO Schulte expects continued traffic growth during summer by about 15 to 25 percent – Tighter climate targets for 2030: Fraport aims to cut carbon emissions by 78 percent compared to 1990 base-year

Fraport AG's business performance improved significantly in fiscal year 2022 (ending Dec 31). In the wake of the ending Covid pandemic and the gradual lifting of travel restrictions during 2022, high travel demand boosted all of the Group's key financial figures. The Group result (or net profit) climbed by 81.5 percent year-on-year to €166.6 million, surpassing Fraport's own guidance set at the start of the year.

Dr. Stefan Schulte, Fraport's CEO, said: „We're moving in the right direction. In the past fiscal year, we've seen particularly strong demand for air travel from leisure passengers and vacationers. Our Group airports worldwide also benefited from this trend. While demand was still restrained at the start of the year, passenger numbers in Frankfurt saw rapid growth of up to 300 percent from April onwards. In mid-2022, traffic surges with three-digit growth rates, combined with staff shortages, occasionally brought us to our limits when ramping up operations. Hence, I wish to extend my sincere thanks to all our employees for their commitment and dedication, and to our partners at Frankfurt Airport for their continuous support, including – and first and foremost – Lufthansa. All of us have worked hard every day to keep disruptions for passengers to a minimum." For the full year 2022, accumulated passenger numbers at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) achieved nearly 100 percent growth compared to 2021. Looking ahead to the current year, Dr. Schulte stated: "During the summer we expect passenger traffic to further grow by about 15 to 25 percent compared to 2022. All process partners continue to be fully committed to ensuring that more resources are available for the upcoming travel season. Our primary goal is to maintain stable operations and enhance our resilience in responding to irregular situations. This remains a challenging task in view of the structural factors we are facing, such as the geopolitically-related airspace restrictions and the current constraints on the German labor market." Another key issue highlighted by Dr. Schulte is Fraport's ongoing decarbonization program: "We're further intensifying our climate measures. Having successfully progressed with decarbonization in 2022, we are now aiming to reduce CO2 emissions in Frankfurt to 50,000 metric tons by 2030. This corresponds to a reduction of 78 percent compared to the 1990 reference year. Our goal is to become carbon free across the Group by 2045."

Passenger growth boosts business performance

Dampened by the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus at the start of the year, traffic rebounded strongly from March onwards, as travel restrictions in many countries were lifted. In Frankfurt, passenger traffic jumped by up to 300 percent year-on-year in April and subsequent months. During 2022, some 48.9 million passengers traveled via Germany's largest aviation hub, an increase of 97.2 percent year-on-year (but still 30.7 percent down compared to pre-crisis 2019). The airports in Fraport's international portfolio also reported rising passenger numbers. Fraport's Group airports serving holiday destinations recovered even more quickly than the FRA hub with its more complex travel demand patterns. Ranking first were the Greek airports, serving nearly four percent more passengers in 2022 than in pre-pandemic 2019 and achieving a new all-time record.

Nominations Open for 2023 IATA Diversity and Inclusion Awards

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the opening of nominations for the 2023 IATA Diversity and Inclusion Awards. Nominations will be accepted from all individuals or organizations working in the aviation value chain and will close at 23:59 CET on 19 April 2023.

The annual awards program recognizes excellence in diversity and inclusion in three categories:

 

• Inspirational Role Model Award: Recognizes a woman holding a senior position within the air transport industry who has had a significant impact on the aviation agenda through her strong contribution to business delivery, as well as her ongoing support for the diversity and inclusion agenda. Nominees are welcome from across the aviation industry.
   
• High Flyer Award: Recognizes a woman aviation professional under the age of 40 who has demonstrated leadership through concrete action in favor of diversity and inclusion, making a positive impact on the industry. Open to all women professionals in the aviation industry.
   
• Diversity & Inclusion Team Award: Recognizes an airline that has seen measurable positive change in diversity and inclusion as a result of the work it has been doing in this area. Open to all IATA member airlines.

“Diversity and inclusion are top priorities across the aviation industry—particularly as the industry competes for the next generation of talent to deliver the benefits of global connectivity. The IATA Diversity and Inclusion Awards help accelerate progress by recognizing the leaders who are making a difference. By acknowledging the results that they have generated, we are aiming to inspire others to also take action to advance aviation’s gender balance. I encourage people to send in their nominations and look forward to shining the spotlight on the winners at our upcoming Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Istanbul,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.  

Each award winner will receive $25,000 (payable to the awardee or their nominated charity for diversity and inclusion activities) thanks to the generous sponsorship of Qatar Airways. 

Dauntless Air Enters 2023 Wildfire Season 17 Fire Bosses Strong; Completes Rigorous 2-Week Annual Training

Dauntless Air, an aerial firefighting company deeply dedicated to protecting people, land and property from the devastation of wildfires, today announced that it will enter the 2023 wildfire season with 17 Fire Bosses -- nearly double the size of its fleet five years ago. 9 of Dauntless’ water-scooping planes were used during the company’s 2-week annual training, which concluded last week in Cleburne, Texas. This industry-leading program—which spans piloting, ground support and maintenance training—has helped to develop one of the most highly-skilled and tenured Fire Boss pilot corps in the world and achieve 99.3 percent average fleet availability since 2018, underscoring the caliber and reliability of Dauntless’ Fire Boss operations.

“We aim to be the safest, most effective and most reliable ally possible in the battle against wildfires,” said Brett L’Esperance, Dauntless CEO. “We do that by attracting and retaining team members who identify with our core values of service, teamwork and professionalism; continuously expanding and upgrading our Fire Boss fleet so we’re bringing the best tools to every mission; and investing in our extensive company training program that has set the standard globally for Fire Boss excellence.”

For the third year in a row, the Dauntless Fire Boss training program spanned two weeks and involved every person in the company, including pilots, mechanics, crew chiefs, leadership and administrative staff. The 2023 program exceeded industry standards in three key areas.

Pilots logged the most pre-season flight hours of any aerial firefighting operator. Dauntless pilots new to the Fire Boss logged three times the industry standard for pre-season flight hours, flying roughly 25 hours each solo and with an experienced pilot in the company’s two-seat Fire Boss training aircraft. Combined, all Dauntless pilots flew 150.8 pre-season hours, exceeding the company’s own industry-leading standard of 141 total hours set in 2022. During that time, pilots completed 844 scoops and dropped 518,601 gallons of water.

Lynx Air Adds Fredericton to its Network

Lynx Air today announced the addition of Fredericton to its network from June 12, 2023, offering affordable links between New Brunswick, Ontario and Alberta.

Canada’s new ultra-affordable airline will offer 3 services a week between New Brunswick’s most central airport, Fredericton International Airport (YFC) and both Calgary International Airport (YYC) and Toronto Pearson International (YYZ). The Fredericton - Calgary service will operate as a “through flight” via Toronto Pearson, providing a seamless service with a single boarding pass and the ability to check bags through to the final destination.

The Fredericton announcement represents a further expansion of the Calgary-based airline’s footprint in Eastern Canada and follows the addition of Montreal to Lynx’s network just last week. Lynx plans to grow its fleet from 6 to 9 aircraft over the next 3 months in anticipation of a busy summer in Canada.

Tickets go on sale today, and the fares are truly ultra-affordable, starting from $79* one way Toronto to/from Fredericton and $199* one way Fredericton to/from Calgary, including taxes and fees. To celebrate, the airline has launched a limited-time seat sale, offering up to 50 per cent off all base fares on both Fredericton routes. The sale will run from March 13, 2023, ending at 11:59 PM EDT on March 14, 2023, and can be accessed with the promo code: FREDERICTON. For complete details and to book an ultra-affordable fare, visit FlyLynx.com.

Cole Brown joins American Airlines Executive Leadership Council

The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) recently selected Cole Brown, Chief People Officer at American Airlines, to join its 2023 class. The ELC is a global organization comprising more than 800 current and former Black CEOs, corporate board members, senior executives of Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies, entrepreneurs at top-tier firms, and thought leaders.

The ELC’s mission is to increase the number of successful Black executives — both domestically and internationally — by adding value to their development, leadership, and philanthropic endeavors throughout the life cycle of their careers, thereby strengthening of their companies, organizations and communities.

“We are thrilled to welcome 67 new members to the ELC,” said Michael C. Hyter, President and CEO of the Executive Leadership Council. “Each one exemplifies our organization’s commitment to advancing Black leadership in global corporations and is committed to propelling the ELC’s mission forward. We are excited to welcome Cole and look forward to leveraging the talents she brings to the membership.”

Universal Hydrogen collaboration in Japan to study green hydrogen supply and logistics solutions for Japanese Airlines

“In order to meet aviation’s ambitious decarbonization goals, we must collaborate in those markets with the strongest appetite for green aviation solutions; Japan is one of those markets. With our Japanese partners—all of whom are global leaders in their industries—we have built a powerful alliance to build a hydrogen infrastructure solution for aviation,” said Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen. “I’m honoured to have two of our investors and partners—Sojitz and Mitsubishi HC Capital—further their commitment to our mission through this collaborative effort.” Today, at the California-Japan Climate Summit, Universal Hydrogen Co. announced that it has formed a collaboration with three Japan-based companies to study—and ultimately develop—a green hydrogen supply and logistics solution that will enable Japanese airlines to scale their utilization of hydrogen-powered aircraft in the very near-term. Collectively, Universal Hydrogen alongside Sojitz Corporation, Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc., and an undisclosed third Japanese partner will study a modular hydrogen delivery system for Japanese airlines.

Under the terms of the collaboration, the companies will collectively identify, evaluate, and qualify local hydrogen suppliers and partners for hydrogen production, hydrogen module filling, module delivery operations, and more. Component manufacturers and suppliers will also be liaised with via this partnership, alongside Japanese government agencies and potential customers. Further, the companies will collaborate on studying marketing strategies and leasing and financing options for both Universal Hydrogen’s powertrain conversion kits and modular hydrogen capsules.

“Creating and ensuring a long-term solution for green hydrogen supply and logistics is the biggest hurdle to overcome as the Japanese aviation industry seeks to integrate hydrogen as one of its decarbonization measures. Many of these airlines already know the importance and urgency of decarbonization; it will require an all-encompassing solution to solve the challenges of infrastructure, cost, and supply. We, at Mitsubishi HC Capital, support Universal Hydrogen’s drive to decarbonize aviation and are thrilled to be a part of the Japanese effort to solve this challenge,” said Osamu Muramoto, Global Head of Aviation Business Division of Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc.

High flying easyJet women bring daughters to work to inspire next generation of women in STEM

This Mother’s Day, easyJet invited daughters to join their high-flying mothers at work in a bid to inspire the next generation of pilots, engineers and data scientists

As part of its ongoing work to support early careers, easyJet has launched a team of Enterprise Advisors to support local schools with dedicated careers advice and is funding opportunities for young women and young people from black, asian and minority ethnic backgrounds to launch a career in aviation through a new partnership with Fantasy Wings

For this Mother’s Day, some of easyJet’s high-flying parents took their daughters behind the scenes at work, in a bid to inspire the next generation of women in STEM,

The airline is raising awareness of STEM career opportunities in aviation and in professions where women are underrepresented across the industry, including its apprenticeships in Engineering, IT, Data and Artificial Intelligence, as well as it’s Graduate Programmes in Engineering and Finance and its industry-renowned airline pilot training programme.

10 year old Harriet joined pilot mum Debbie Thomas at Luton airport to explore the flight deck of an A320 easyJet aircraft and budding young maths whizz, Amaryllis had the chance to learn from her physicist mum, Nikoletta, what it takes to be a Senior Data Analyst for easyJet

The move seeks to bust traditional gendered stereotypes of these professions and encourage more young women to explore these careers, by showing young people that all jobs are for everyone. It follows recent research which has suggested that based on current trends, it would take 22 years (until 2044) for the same number of women to be starting STEM apprenticeships as men.*

First Officer Debbie Thomas, an airline pilot at easyJet and former engineer, was joined by 10 year old daughter Harriet for a day at Luton airport where the pair explored Debbie’s office – the flight deck of an A320 easyJet aircraft. Harriet was shown the controls by her mum and practiced making a pilot’s passenger announcement.

Harriet said: “It was so fun to see my mum at her work, I think her job is amazing which is why I want to be a pilot just like her when I grow up.”  

Amaryllis, aged seven, joined her mother Nikoletta, at work ahead of Mother’s Day. The budding young maths whizz had the chance to learn from her physicist mum, what it takes to be a Senior Data Analyst for easyJet. The pair spent the day analysing baggage data and trends, meeting colleagues across the business and attending meetings the airline’s head office at Luton Airport.

Nikoletta said, “This was a brilliant and important opportunity to bring Amaryllis to work with me and show her what a job in Data is all about. With fewer women than men starting STEM apprenticeships in the last year and research even showing that that number is falling compared to previous years, it’s critical to raise awareness of the incredible variety of jobs available in the industry and in those STEM roles from a young age.”