easyJet launches recruitment drive encouraging girls to become pilots in a Top Gun twist

The airline is aiming to tackle job stereotypes as well as inspire more young people into working in aviation.

In a new recruitment film, scenes from the ’80s blockbuster film Top Gun has been given a modern makeover. 

In the original film, starring Tom Cruise, all the lead pilot roles are played by an all-male cast.

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easyJet’s film features a powerful twist to the popular action movie, flipping the roles with girls playing all the pilots.

Alongside the film, the budget carrier has released new research that suggests that people believe gender stereotypes are dominating Hollywood films.

Hollywood is thought to perpetuate gender stereotypes when it comes to job roles for men and women, according to four in five of those polled in a survey of 3,000 parents and their children.

Rei Diec, aged 7 during filming of a parody of the movie Top Gun at Luton airport as part of easyJet's nextGen recruitment campaign. Credit: PA/easyJet

Most of the parents said there are misconceptions that being a pilot is a job for men.

At the moment, only around 6% of pilots worldwide are women.

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easyJet has been trying to tackle this gender imbalance over the last few years and has actually doubled the number of female pilots in its ranks since 2015.

Sam Bennett, aged 12, Olivia Joohee-Riddington, aged 9, Arjun Giri, aged 9, Rei Diec, aged 7 and Rico Jeerasinghe, aged 9 during filming of a parody of the movie Top Gun at Luton airport as part of easyJet's nextGen recruitment campaign. Credit: PA/easyJet

Chief executive Johan Lundgren said: “Top Gun is one of the most famous aviation films of all time, so we wanted to create our own rendition of the movie that was both entertaining and inspiring to a younger audience, to show young people that they don’t have to be limited by outdated stereotypes of jobs in the industry.

“EasyJet has long championed greater diversity across our business and the industry and, while we have made important progress in areas like our pilot community, there is still work to do.”