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You know you’re officially on the way to your holiday destination as you hear those magical five words:“This is your captain speaking”.
But much as we love to hear from the person in charge, as they tell us how high we’ll be flying and what to expect as we ascend, we rarely glimpse inside the cockpit.
Hidden from view, our trusty pilots carry the weight of hundreds of travellers and their assorted bags of hopes and expectations, on each and every trip.
We asked airline and tour operator Jet2 for upfront access to find out more. Pilot Neil Robinson, a captain based at Liverpool Airport, talks to Portal North.
How many passengers does Jet2 carry each year?
Jet2 carried 19.8 million customers last year, marking significant growth on previous years.
When we launched in 2003, we had two aircraft flying to eight destinations. Now we have a fleet of 139 aircraft flying from 14 UK airports to 80 destinations.
As the UK’s largest tour operator and third largest airline, we operate to sun, ski and city destinations across Europe, the Mediterranean, Canary Islands and North Africa, offering customers fantastic choice and flexibility when it comes to enjoying a holiday.
Which new destinations has Jet2 added for 2026?
We’ve added three new destinations for 2026 – Palermo (Sicily), Samos (Greece) and La Palma (the Canary Islands).
Who else is in the cockpit during the flight?
There’s always a first officer in the cockpit operating alongside me and we share the duties of each flight. First officers are just as qualified as captains to fly, although don’t yet have the flying experience to be in full command.
The cabin crew are the faces we see – do captains have their own crew or does it vary each flight?
It varies with every single flight but we do see our cabin crew colleagues quite often and we work as one team to look after our customers.
How many hours do you spend in the air each month?
Our hours in the air are referred to as pilot block hours and measure the time from when an aircraft first moves for take-off until it stops at the destination gate. There are strict limits to what pilots can fly and a commercial pilot might fly something in the region of 60 to 80 hours per month, but there is variation.
Do pilots get to choose which routes they fly?
I fly out of Liverpool Airport as that’s my home base, but we might operate out of any of Jet2’s 14 airport bases across the country if required. The routes are assigned to us and there’s a lot of excitement on roster publication day. We’re always eager to see where we’ll be flying happy holidaymakers to.
Do you get to see the destinations you fly to or just the airports?
As we spend around an hour on the ground at the destination airports before returning to the UK, we see the airport up close. However, we also get to see some incredible views of our destinations from the air. This is a wonderful part of the job and very much a highlight of mine.
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 flight we’ve just operated. There’s nothing better than that Love Actually moment!
It’s also great fun meeting customers who fly with us and creating holiday memories from the moment they board.
When passengers have to wait on the runway for a signal from Air Traffic Control, what’s actually going on?
At busy times of the year, we may have an Air Traffic Control (ATC) slot, which is all about synchronising our aircraft into the flow 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 Office criteria for being named, you know you’re in for a busy day, as it might impact flying 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.
Which three holiday spots are next on your list to visit?
I have a family holiday to Portugal booked for October where we’ll fly 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.
From February 2027, Jet2 will start operating flights 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.
And Italy is a family favourite, so next year we’ll look to fly to Pisa and explore Tuscany.
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?
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 fly. I’m sure it gets our customers (and crew) in the mood for a fantastic holiday.
What don’t you travel without?
We cannot fly 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!
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