Virgin Atlantic is subject of a fly-on-the-wall documentary to be screened tonight (Tuesday).
The three-part series goes behind the scenes of the airline in its 30th year in business.
‘Up In The Air’ follows staff at all different levels of the business, from founder Sir Richard Branson to a 58-year-old grandmother hoping to become a member of cabin crew and warehouse workers.
The first episode, to be screened at 9pm tonight, focuses on the Virgin Atlantic base in Crawley, preparing for the airline’s 30th birthday event.
Sir Richard is still the face of the brand despite not having been involved in the day-to-day running of the airline for more than ten years.
He says: “Fortunately, I’ve been in the airline business long enough to know that you have tough years and good years. [We’ll still be around in 30 years] as long as we keep reinventing ourselves and keep ahead of the crowd.”
With a small fleet of 38, some of Virgin’s aircraft have been in service for around 20 years.
The airline is hoping that its route back into profit lies in a £5 billion investment of new fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which will eventually replace half its existing fleet of older aircraft.
The show covers cabin crew recruitment after a two-year freeze on hiring, including 58-year-old hopeful Katrine.
The episode also covers the airline’s Swansea-based customer complaints centre who are dealing with customers’ increasingly high expectations.