December 2019, when the first case of Covid-19 was discovered in Wuhan, China, we could never have imagined how the future of the aviation industry would be affected for the foreseeable future. On the 23rd of March 2020, Boris Johnson announced a national lockdown with a stay-at-home order legally in force from the 26th of March 2020, which saw thousands of Crawley and Gatwick residents forced to walk away from their livelihoods within an industry so loved. Little did we know, this order would last until the end of April 2020.

Fast forward nearly two years, and the travel and tourism industry has experienced a 78% decrease in passenger numbers at Gatwick Airport following a ban on travelling for leisure purposes, a traffic light system that could change at any moment and complex testing and isolation rules. However, the recent lift in plan B restrictions and testing requirements is another glimmer of hope towards returning to life pre-Covid-19.

Before Covid-19, the team at Elliot Scott provided 390 candidates in placements each week, with some of the largest businesses in the travel and tourism industry serving Gatwick Airport. On a typical day, more than 60,000 people would fly out of Gatwick Airport, and with passenger numbers plummeting to less than 50 on some days, the only way is up!

Pre Covid-19, Crawley was the 19th most productive urban area in the UK and had the 9th highest workplace earnings; therefore, the return of travel will benefit the Crawley and Gatwick areas significantly. The town is currently within the top 10 places with the highest share of people claiming unemployment-related benefits due to catastrophic numbers who found themselves redundant during and following the pandemic.

Spring 2022 is expected to see a significant return to air traffic operations. The team at Elliot Scott are already beginning to fuel the demand ahead of the February half-term holidays. They have recently placed 83 candidates in roles across Gatwick Airport and 189 roles within the travel and tourism industry, with further positions expected to rise as and when travel demand begins to return.

For now, our teams will continue to utilise their experience and relationships within the industry to identify upcoming positions for our candidates, and we look forward to seeing what the future holds!

If you’re looking for help or support with your next role, or you’re looking to hire a team with previous airport experience, get in touch with us today at enquiries@elliotscottgroup.co.uk