Airline seeking 1,200 new pilots amid major expansion plan

Wizz Air is to train 1,200 new pilots by 2028, including 240 from the UK, it has been announced.

The airline said it was particularly keen to hear from individuals looking to change careers.

The selection process takes around six months, followed by two years of training.

Wizz Air currently employs 2,800 pilots, including more than 250 in the UK.

Captain Phil Cullen, Wizz Air UK’s head of operations and accountable manager, said: “Our commitment to training 1,200 new pilots, within the Wizz Air Group, by 2028 represents a major investment in the future of aviation and the UK’s economic landscape.

“We’re particularly excited to expand our recruitment efforts into Ireland for the first time, and to open the door for people seeking a career change.”

Wizz Air said it plans to expand its fleet and route network towards its target of operating 500 aircraft by 2030.

Last month, analysis by consumer group Which? found British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair, Tui and Wizz Air were less punctual in the 12 months to the end of April than in 2019, before the virus crisis began.

Tui had the worst performance out of the airlines included in the research, which was based on Civil Aviation Authority data.

Just 59.2 per cent of the carrier’s UK departures took off within 15 minutes of the schedule in 2024/25, down from 67.2 per cent in 2019.

Airlines have blamed air traffic control (ATC) staff shortages and industrial action for causing much of the disruption to their flights.