easyJet’s Oldest Flight Attendant Just Turned 73

iatanews

1 year ago

easyJet has appointed its oldest flight attendant to a special role ahead of her 73rd birthday. ‘Nana Pam’ pursued her dream to be a flight attendant at the age of 53 and will now be an ambassador for over 45s recruitment.

easyJet flight attendant celebrates 73rd birthday this week

Pam Clark, or Nana Pam as she is affectionately known to regulars, was on an easyJet flight to Madrid 20 years ago when she decided to apply for a cabin crew position with the low-cost carrier. In a profession that has historically favored the younger generation, the former hairdresser began her career as an FA at the age of 53 and has since served around 800,000 passengers on approximately 4,500 flights over her two-decade stint.

Photo: easyJet

easyJet commented,

“When Pam showed up for her first day of training, despite her initial fears that she would stand out among younger colleagues, she found herself welcomed into a team from all walks of life and her exceptional customer service and people skills, saw her thrive in what turned out to be her longest career of all.”

Pam will now be easyJet’s ambassador for over-45 recruitment, encouraging older job candidates to come forward. The grandmother and soon-to-be great-grandmother will turn 73 this week and celebrated with an easyJet aircraft-shaped cake, complete with a figure of her sitting on top.

Recruitment changes

easyJet has been eager to recruit employees from different demographic backgrounds – as Simple Flying reported in November, the airline unveiled a new ad campaign seeking to entice “empty-nesters” – parents whose children have flown the nest – to pursue a new career path. Since then, the carrier has seen a 10% increase in cabin crew members over 45 and a 160% rise over the age of 60.

Photo: easyJet

Pam said,

“My advice to anyone over the age of 45 thinking about applying for a role as cabin crew at easyJet would be to go for it. When I applied for the role 20 years ago, I knew that my age and experience meant I had something really valuable to offer. Nowadays, I’m meeting more and more colleagues like me who have made a brave career change later in life. Don’t be afraid! My favorite part of the job has been meeting passengers from all over the world and giving them the most enjoyable travel experience possible. I’m proud to work at a company that puts people first.”

Hiring drive

With the aviation industry facing major shortages across the board in the post-pandemic era, easyJet has made some shrewd moves in finding the right talent. The airline was quick to snap up staff from defunct carrier Flybe after it went bust earlier in the year, leaving almost 300 people without a job.

Photo: easyJet

The carrier is also eager to bring in new pilots after reopening its Generation easyJet Pilot Training programme – it will aim to recruit up to 200 pilots from December by offering a two-year training course and an enticing £50,000+ ($63,500) salary. In fact, over the next five years, the LCC will look to bolster its pilot workforce by another 1,000 and is focusing on attracting more female pilots.

Have you ever encountered Nana Pam on your travels with easyJet? Let us know your stories in the comments.

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