Ryanair has announced 100 brand new cabin crew positions at its London Stansted base, and if you’ve been eyeing a career with Europe’s largest low-cost carrier, this is your moment.
Working alongside its recruitment partner, Cabin Crew International, the airline held a meet-and-greet at the Radisson Blu Hotel at Stansted Airport, where candidates could sit down with current crew and get a genuine feel for the role before applying.
The push is part of Ryanair’s wider ambition to carry 300 million passengers annually by 2034, a target that requires a lot of new employees. Ryanair hasn’t been shy about saying so either. CEO Michael O’Leary has been publicly vocal in recent years about the challenge of finding enough UK-based cabin crew post-Brexit, noting that restrictions on hiring from Europe have made filling roles at British bases significantly harder. That makes this a genuine opportunity, not a pipeline-building exercise.
The Role and Where You’ll Be Based
Stansted is Ryanair’s largest UK base and one of its biggest anywhere in Europe, serving over 235 destinations across the airline’s network. If you’re in Essex, Hertfordshire, or commutable distance from North London, this is about as accessible a flying career as you’ll find.
Ryanair operates a standardised 5 days on / 3 days off roster, and those days off are typically back at your home base, not stranded in a hotel somewhere. For people who want to fly for a living without sacrificing a normal life on the ground, that’s a genuinely compelling offer.
What’s the Package?
Here’s what cabin crew based at Stansted can expect:
- Salary: starting at around £21,000 per year, rising with experience, with uncapped sales commissions on top from in-flight food, drink, and retail
- Free training: Ryanair covers the cost of your initial cabin crew course, which is internationally recognised. Training is paid once you’ve passed the interview stage
- Heavily discounted travel: for you, your family, and friends across the entire Ryanair network (worth flagging: these are discounts, not free standby tickets — but with 235+ destinations, it’s still a serious perk)
- 5 days on / 3 days off: fixed roster, usually back at your home base on days off — effectively a long weekend every week
- Fast-track career progression: crew can reach supervisor level within a year, with senior and management roles opening up beyond that
- 90+ bases across Europe and North Africa: if you ever fancy a change of scene without changing employer
One thing worth being upfront about on the pay: because a portion of your earnings comes from in-flight sales commissions, your actual take-home will vary month to month depending on how your flights perform commercially. Crew who are switched-on and proactive tend to do very well out of it. Those who prefer a fully predictable fixed salary should factor that in before applying.
What Does Ryanair Look For?
Good news for first-timers: no previous cabin crew experience is required. Ryanair’s training programme covers everything from safety procedures to service standards on its Boeing 737 fleet, so what they’re really hiring for is attitude.
The basic requirements are:
- The legal right to live and work in the UK, and to travel freely across Ryanair’s network
- At least 18 years of age
- Height between 157 cm and 188 cm (to safely reach and operate overhead safety equipment without assistance)
- Ability to swim — water safety training is a mandatory part of the certification process
- No visible tattoos while in uniform (any tattoos must be fully coverable)
- Fitness for cabin crew duties, confirmed via a medical assessment before starting
- Clean background and security clearance
It’s also worth knowing that some of the rumours that used to circulate about Ryanair’s training terms are no longer accurate. The airline no longer charges new hires to attend the initial training course, and the uniform is provided free of charge. From the second year, you receive a uniform allowance, and cabin crew are employed on permanent contracts with the employment rights that come with that.
How to Apply
The recruitment event at Stansted has now taken place, but Ryanair recruits on a rolling basis across its UK and European bases year-round. The process typically runs like this:
- Online application — submit your CV and supporting documents through the official careers site
- English language assessment — a short test to evaluate written and spoken communication skills
- Interview — online or in person, depending on your location
- Paid training — once you’ve been offered the role, Ryanair’s training programme prepares you fully for life onboard
Full details and current live vacancies are at careers.ryanair.com.
If you want to put your best foot forward before applying, our Ultimate Cabin Crew Recruitment Guide walks you through every stage of the process, and our free CV templates are built specifically to help cabin crew applicants stand out.
