After six weeks and hundreds of hours of training, 443 new cabin crew have earned their wings and are preparing to take to the skies in the coming weeks as TUI gears up for Summer 2024.
With 130 new pilots too, TUI UK&I customers can look forward to being looked after by a team of more than 4250 dedicated airline crew flying them to 59 destinations from 23 regional airports.
TUI’s Head of Cabin Crew Management Ian Campbell said: “This year we saw unprecedented interest, with thousands applying for the roles available; and 10,000 applications flying in during the first week.”.
The majority of the training takes place at TUI’s Training Centre in East Midlands, where the new recruits are put through their paces and learn everything from safety, service and everything in-between.
One day we could be teaching them how to safely pour a cup of tea and the next they are jumping out of an aircraft on our safety evacuation slide. This isn’t a normal 9 to 5, we operate 24/7, 365 days a year and the training is about getting the new recruits into that mindset,” explains Campbell.
The new cabin crew have been recruited to work across each of TUI’s 23 regional bases. Before taking to the skies, new graduate attended their Wings ceremony the ultimate celebration of everything they have achieved over their 6 weeks of training.
“Their commitment to working and studying hard to be the best cabin crew they can is inspiring and fuels the entire team’s motivation. The new entrants inject a wonderful dose of positive energy into our regional bases, and their excitement is contagious. The sheer volume of learning is always a shock to entrants, but when they get their wings and put on their uniforms it becomes real; they are finally in the job they’ve aspired to” Campbell commented.
In addition, 130 new pilots have also joined the TUI ranks ahead of Summer 2024, which well and truly kicks off with the May half term holidays next week. And customers can look forward to a bolstered offer this Summer with an additional 160,000 seats to Turkey, 150,000 extra seats to Balearics, 100,000 extra seats to Canaries and an additional 80,000 seats to Greece.
All favourite destinations for Brits, with Majorca, Tenerife and Dalaman the top three choices for the Summer season.
Managing Director TUI UK&I Andrew Flintham said: “Our teams across all our 23 bases are looking forward to taking customers on their dream Summer getaways. The airline experience is a key part of the overall holiday, and our crew are committed to providing the best possible flight for every single passenger. Whichever one of our 59 destinations our customers are travelling to, from whatever local airport, whether on a short break or a two-week holiday, they can be assured of a warm welcome from our new recruits and established crew members alike”.
