Jet2.com has created 100 jobs at East Midlands Airport as it continues to grow its presence in the region.
The low-cost airline and package holiday supplier is recruiting for fixed-term and permanent vacancies in ramp agent, baggage loader and dispatch positions for summer 2017 after it took all ramp-handling services, which were previously operated by Menzies, in-house.
Working as part of the ground operations team, recruits will be responsible for ensuring that flights depart safely and on time.
It follows a period of growth for the travel company, which currently employs about 300 people at the Castle Donington airport and will launch its biggest ever flights and holidays programme this summer.
This includes four new destinations from the East Midlands – Costa Brava, Naples, Split and Paris – taking the number of Jet2 hotspots to 32.
Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: “We have continued to grow since starting operations from East Midlands Airport in 2009, with this summer representing our biggest ever flights and holidays programme.
“To support this and to provide Jet2.com and Jet2holidays customers with the best possible experience, we are investing significantly into our operation ahead of the summer season.
“This will enable us to build on our award-winning service and deliver an even better end-to-end customer experience for our customers at East Midlands Airport.”
Last year, Jet2 took on 80 staff in a recruitment drive after it purchased 30 new Boeing 737-800 airplanes and created about 1,000 jobs nationwide.
Meanwhile, East Midlands Airport started the year with a 15 percent increase in passenger numbers.
Last month, almost 220,000 people travelled through the airport, compared to about 190,000 in January 2016.
It said 2016 was a successful year as it welcomed 4.6 million through its doors, while there was a significant investment in a new runway and airfield infrastructure.
The most popular winter destinations were Tenerife, Alicante, Lanzarote, Dublin and Malaga.
In preparation for what it expects to be its busiest summer every, the airport recently hosted a job
fair with 350 new positions available to the 2,000 people who attended, to help with the increase in travellers.
With 2017 set to break records again for passenger numbers, it has extended the Castle Rock bar in the upstairs food court and has planned other new catering outlets to open.
East Midlands Airport managing director Andy Cliffe said: “We have started the year well with big increases in the number of people using the airport in January, new routes for the summer and a very successful job fair.
“We are preparing for our busiest summer on record with new routes to Barcelona, Naples and Budapest as well as increased frequency to Malaga, Tenerife and Alicante.
“To ensure that new and existing customers have the best start to their holidays we have invested in terminal facilities including; refurbishments to our retail outlets, new restaurants and cafes.”
Nottingham Post
