Our plans for expansion at Heathrow and Gatwick mean we will be recruiting more than 300 new BA pilots in the next two years, as the London-based fleet grows to more than 240 aircraft.
Grows to more than 240 aircraft? I seem to recall it was at that number many years ago. Smoke and mirrors.
the RAF accounted for another third,
Just as a point of information, RAF pilots did not have licences of any kind. They were not required to fly one of HM flying machines. The only RAF pilots with a commercial licence were those who were on the point of leaving the service having done the necessary CAA exams and flight tests.