Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive says the airline has avoided the chaos and cancellations seen with other airlines because it has no trouble hiring staff, thanks to its ‘secret sauce’.
The carrier has not appeared in the recent national headlines about delays and axed flights, which have been blamed on staff shortages, because it pays “fairly and competitively, according to Shai Weiss.
He told the Sunday Telegraph that the airline has had 5,000 applicants for 400 jobs, adding: “When [people] want to work in aviation, we are top of the list.”
Weiss also told the newspaper that the airline will remain loss-making this year – but he wants to be back in black in 2023.
He said that bookings as far forward as early 2023 continue to hold up despite a squeeze on household incomes but warned that soaring fuel prices and living costs could hit the plans for profitability in 2023.
As well as piloting the airline over the Covid pandemic, he is now battling cancer.
He told the Telegraph that he caught Covid in late March and then was diagnosed with stage colon cancer.
A large tumour was removed during an operation and he is now having a three-month course of chemotherapy to remove cancerous cells in the surrounding lymph nodes.
He told the newspaper that he is a “forward-looking, positive individual” and has already bought an Arsenal season ticket.
More: Webcast: ‘We believe that Virgin Atlantic has always championed individuality’
Virgin Atlantic staff can show tattoos after policy change
Virgin Atlantic champions its crew in new ad campaign
Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines chiefs slam Heathrow charges
Virgin Atlantic to bring 50+ orphaned Ukrainian children to UK