Portal North. ISSUE 2 - Magazine - Page 41
Best thing about your job?
For me, it’s when we walk into UK
arrivals and see family and friends
meeting their loved ones from a
昀氀ight we’ve just operated. There’s
nothing better than that Love
Actually moment!
It’s also great fun meeting
customers who 昀氀y with us and
creating holiday memories from
the moment they board.
When passengers have to wait on the
runway for a signal from Air Tra昀케c
Control, what’s actually going on?
At busy times of the year, we
may have an Air Tra昀케c Control
(ATC) slot, which is all about
synchronising our aircraft into
the 昀氀ow of all the other aircraft in
the skies.
That means we have to wait for that
precise moment before taking off.
These slots may also be assigned
based on bad weather that could
be over busy airways (our
motorways in the sky) or based on
how many aircraft a regional ATC
centre is permitted to handle at any
one time.
The UK weather is far from
predictable – how much does that
affect your routine?
In autumn and winter, when a
storm meets the Met O昀케ce criteria
for being named, you know you’re
in for a busy day, as it might impact
昀氀ying schedules across Europe.
It’s part of the job though and we’re
well used to operating in all kinds
of conditions. The key aspect for
us is to communicate with our
customers and keep them updated
so they feel reassured.
Pisa
Which three holiday spots are next on
your list to visit?
Jess Glynne’s Hold My Hand is
synonymous with Jet2, having been its
theme tune since 2015. Are you a fan
and can you hear it in the cockpit?
I have a family holiday to Portugal
booked for October where we’ll
昀氀y to Faro (with Jet2 of course!)
to enjoy a beach holiday – and I
can have a cheeky day on the golf
course. Then we’ll travel to Lisbon
by car and take in the sights.
How can anyone not love that
song? It’s very much part of the
Jet2 brand and we certainly hear it
when the cockpit door is open on
the ground before we 昀氀y. I’m sure
it gets our customers (and crew) in
the mood for a fantastic holiday.
From February 2027, Jet2 will start
operating 昀氀ights to Egypt including
Sharm-El-Sheikh, and I‘ve always
wanted to go on a diving holiday
there, so that’s the plan for winter.
What don’t you travel without?
And Italy is a family favourite, so
next year we’ll look to 昀氀y to Pisa and
explore Tuscany.
We cannot 昀氀y without our
passport, pilot licence and airport
ID. On rare occasions, we may have
to stay overnight at one of our
destinations for an unscheduled
night stop for any number of
reasons. That means I always
travel with a fresh pair of clothes,
a pair of ear plugs, an eye mask
and wash bag!
Lisbon
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