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  easyJet

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  U2/EZY (UK) | EC/EJU (Europe) | DS/EZS (Switzerland)

  Airline Type:

  Low-Cost Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Geneva Airport, London Gatwick Airport, London Luton Airport, Milan Malpensa Airport

  Year Founded:

  1995

  CEO:

  Johan Lundgren

One of the most highly anticipated movies of 2022 (not without a strong sense of nostalgia for all of us who grew up in the 80s) is Top Gun: Maverick. The film, set to premiere in the US on May 24, sees Tom Cruise reprise his role as US Navy Aviator Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell from 1986. Now, easyJet is recreating scenes from the classic Top Gun film in a recruitment campaign. The mission - to dispel stereotypes around aviation jobs.

Specifically, the campaign aims to encourage more girls to pursue a career as pilots. The film was shot at London Luton Airport and is titled Calling all Mavericks. The roles of pilots Maverick and Goose are played by seven-year-old Rei Diec and nine-year-old Olivia Joohee-Ridington. They are supported by an adorable cast of cabin crew, engineers and ground operations staff. Alll the children have parents who work for easyJet.

Dream come true

One of the stars of the film, Rei Diec said about her participation in the special remake,

“I’ve always loved flying and getting to be a pilot for a day was the best day ever and a dream come true!”

Half of children have never encountered a female pilot

A study of 3,000 British parents and their children revealed that almost four in five (79%) of believe Hollywood still perpetuates gender stereotypes when it comes to job roles for men and women. A full 85% believe that there are specific misconceptions that being a pilot is a job for men. Of the children surveyed, nearly two thirds said they thought a pilot was a job for a boy, whilst 43% have still never come across a female pilot.

Challenging outdated stereotypes

easyJet recently reopened its pilot academy for the first time since the pandemic. The airline aims to bring on 1000 new pilots over the next five years. The budget carrier's Chief Executive Officer, Johan Lundgren, commented,

“Top Gun is one of the most famous aviation films of all time. So, we wanted to create our own rendition of the movie that was both entertaining and inspiring to a younger audience, to show young people that they don’t have to be limited by outdated stereotypes of jobs in the industry, as well as highlight the fantastic career opportunities that easyJet has to offer."

Inclusivity long-term focus for easyJet

Top Gun 2 will feature a female pilot, but judging from the trailer, it is just that - one, an anomaly among the group of fierce male fighter jet pilots. Which, in all fairness is an accurate representation of the gender balance today, with only 6% of pilots worldwide being female. However, if that is to change, representation needs to do its part. Lundgren continued,

"We have made important progress in areas like our pilot community, there is still work to do. Increasing diversity in all of its forms across our airline and creating an inclusive environment where people can be themselves at work is incredibly important to us and is a long-term focus for easyJet, so we will continue to ensure we lead the industry on this issue.”

easyJet is set to be operating at near pre-pandemic levels this summer, which means it is in desperate need of staff. Thankfully, many newly qualified female pilots has joined the company in recent months.

How do you think the industry - and pop-culture - could encourage greater gender diversity? Leave a comment below and join the conversation.