Liverpool John Lennon Airport is looking to hire another air traffic controller on a potential salary of almost £84,000 as it embarks on a major expansion with the arrival of Jet2. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) is to expand its team of air traffic controllers as the number of flights it handles is set to increase in 2023 and 2024.

Last week Jet2 and Jet2 holidays announced they would be operating from LJLA for the first time from spring 2024. They will offer flights to 20 European destinations which will mean 54 extra flights a week taking off and landing at Liverpool.

Jet2 also said it would initially create around 200 jobs with more in the pipeline. Positions will include flight deck, cabin crew, engineering, and ground operations. To find out more interested candidates can click here.

Earlier this year, Liverpool Airport’s two biggest operations, Ryanair and easyJet, announced they were increasing capacity this year. In February Ryanair announced four new routes out of Liverpool in an £80m investment.

In late April Aer Lingus returned to Liverpool for the first time since 2016 with a new route to Dublin. Emerald Airlines, which operates Are Lingus’s regional services, will offer 11 departures a week to the Irish capital.

This has given LJLA its third global hub link. German carrier Lufthansa began its hub link between Liverpool and Frankfurt in May 2022 and has since increased frequency. It offers onward flights to multiple global destinations.

It all adds up to a busier airport that will need more staff over the coming months. In the last few days LJLA has advertised for an experienced air traffic control officer to join its team in the control tower. Salary on offer is up to £83,901, dependent on experience.

In the ad the airport says: “Working shifts on a 24-hour basis, you will ensure the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic within your area of responsibility.”

ATCs at Liverpool don’t just look after air traffic coming in and out of the airport but also flights coming to and from other airports such as Manchester. That adds up to more than 80,000 aircraft movements every year.

In April 2022 LJLA announced it was introducing a new ATC system that would reduce the need for multiple controllers at times of low demand.

Click here to find out more about the ATC position. Closing date for applications is May 28.