AERO

British Airways has had an overwhelmingly positive response to its search for new pilots, receiving more than 6,500 applications from current and aspiring pilots.

The airline’s online pilot recruitment careers page also had 25,000 hits in the first 24 hours, after launching the campaign on August 11, 2011.

British Airways launched its biggest pilot recruitment campaign for a decade using three combined programmes: the Future Pilot Programme, recruiting qualified pilots from other airlines and a planned career path for military pilots.

The British Airways Future Pilot Programme, an initiative to help people train to become airline pilots for the first time, has had the biggest response. Some 3,500 people have applied for the 80 places available this year.

The airline has also received around 3,000 applications to join British Airways from experienced pilots already flying with other commercial carriers.

British Airways’ head of pilot recruitment, Captain Robin Glover said: “We are delighted with the fantastic response.

“In the first 24 hours of the campaign we had more than 25,000 hits on our pilot recruitment website with people wanting to find out more.

“We want to recruit the very highest standard of pilots and the BA Future Pilot Programme widens the talent pool even further.”

The airline plans to take on more than 800 new pilots by 2016, with around half coming from the Future Pilot Programme.