Air Transport

UK no-frills carrier EasyJet has begun direct appeals to passengers interested in working as cabin crew over the public address system.

Starting from last month, EasyJet has informed passengers that “due to rapid expansion,” in its network, it is recruiting for cabin crew based in Bristol, London Luton and London Gatwick. The onboard announcement, sandwiched between safety briefings and route network news, urges passengers interested or those who know people who might be interested to visit the company’s website for details.

Maverick South African low-cost carrier Kulula, which refers to its cabin crew as "superheroes", calls its passengers "fans" and confuses foreign visitors by referring to its destinations by their local nicknames, has also previously had crew inviting passengers to join the onboard team, However, unlike the scripted announcement used by EasyJet, Kulula’s superheroes, drawn from all sections of the South African community, are extending a Bantu tradition of passing on information of attractive offers.

The move comes as Irish rival Ryanair has attracted criticism from unions representing cabin crew for its practice of hiring staff from parts of Europe with lower wage costs.