With due deference to colleagues at other bases, there is no question that working at Gatwick is a hard business - arguably the hardest of all bases in terms of the daily grind, car parking hassles, roster changes, shortages of captains (which is why the people reading this are being recruited) and the much publicised ground handling issues. Nonetheless, we are talking to professional airline pilots here, and they will all go in with their eyes wide open to what life there is like. Elephant and Castle, like myself, is an experienced easyJet pilot and it is good to get the different range of perspectives of life at easyJet. I would be accused of being too positive - I simply choose to enjoy my working life, because if I do not then no one will for me. I also am very aware of life outside easyJet and despite the the Elephant man's protestations about the horrors of life in the orange empire, I do not see him suggesting better alternatives. I have openly stated that a national carrier is generally-speaking a better place to be if you can cope with the long wait for command, but in the absence of that opportunity I stand by my view that easyJet would be hard to beat. Nonetheless, I will defer to the naysayers and invite Elephant and Castle to provide us all with the names of better airlines who are not national carriers.
Regarding the base closures, we are all very sympathetic to those who have found themselves in a difficult position. The truth is that there have been winners and losers - those who have just bought houses or are locals with family are in a terrible position but others have had money thrown at them to go elsewhere have been less affected. Nonetheless, overall it is a great tragedy for most people involved. What it tells anyone with an ounce of common sense is that no airline has the right to exist at any base - money-in must exceed money-out. If easyJet cannot make money somewhere, they will be hard-nosed and close the base. That is the same for every company on the planet and anyone who is a professional airline pilot knows that is the harsh reality of life. I work at Gatwick, which is currently the golden goose, but the day that ceases to be the case, then I know my future there is in doubt. Anyone joining easyJet, or indeed any other airline should be under no illusion that the base they go to has to make money or it will close. Is that really a surprise to anyone?