Wizz Air Is Hosting Recruitment Events For Former Flybe Crews

The airline is looking to staff its rapidly expanding flight network.


Photo: Anna Zvereva via Wikimedia.

Wizz Air has announced that it will be hosting recruitment events for former employees of the now-defunct British airline Flybe, according to a press release by the Hungarian ultra-low-cost carrier on Sunday. The announcement comes as Wizz Air looks to hire more cabin and flight crew in order to support the carrier's rapid expansion.

The announcement

Wizz Air will be holding a series of recruitment events specifically for former Flybe pilots and cabin crew, although prospective employees with any background are welcome to join. In-person events will be held in Birmingham, with online offerings as well for those that are not local to the area.

Like all other European airlines, Wizz Air requires its pilots to have an EASA license. For those that do not already have one, the process of obtaining it involves 100 hours of theory lessons and 30 hours of flight instruction. Eligible individuals can apply for the roles of first officer and captain with any of Wizz Air's three regional subsidiaries: Wizz Air UK, Wizz Air Hungary, and Wizz Air Malta.

The carrier offers a number of benefits to its employees that are in line with those of its competitors including a competitive salary as well as discounts on tickets for family and friends.

More on Wizz Air and Flybe

Wizz Air was founded in Budapest in September of 2003. The airline operates a 114-strong fleet that flies to 200 destinations and consists entirely of Airbus jets including the A320, A321, and A330. In recent months, the carrier has experienced a robust post-pandemic recovery that has resulted in several new routes to Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and more. Furthermore, it was recently awarded the title of the most environmentally sustainable airline in the world.

Flybe was founded in Exeter in November of 1979 and quickly became one of the largest airlines in Europe before it ceased operations in March of 2020 amidst the pandemic. The carrier relaunched out of Birmingham Airport (BHX) in September of 2020 with new ownership and commenced operations once again in April of 2022; however, the new Flybe was unfortunately destined for the same fate as the old one and filed for administration just last week.

Wizz Air's announcement that it will be hosting recruitment events for former employees of Flybe ultimately comes at a time when the airline is looking for pilots and cabin crew to staff its rapidly expanding flight network. It also comes at the perfect time for ex-Flybe staff that are likely to be searching for work now that their previous employer is defunct.

However, Wizz Air is not the only carrier that has experienced a strong post-pandemic recovery; budget airlines Ryanair and EasyJet have both put out statements saying that they are looking to hire new staff to support their operations. It will be interesting to see which of the three carriers ends up being the most popular among ex-Flybe staff, but for now, former employees for the airline can rest assured that there are plenty of jobs out there for them.