Hiring Radar / September 2026
Airlines hiring cabin crew — September 2026
September is the busiest recruiting month of the second half of 2026, because almost everything opening now is hiring for training courses that run into 2027. The Gulf carriers are back to a full post-summer Open Day calendar across Europe, easyJet opens its UK campaign for summer 2027 crews, and Finnair's rare Helsinki window closes in the first week of the month. The one soft spot is the United States, where American Airlines has still not put a date on its long-trailed application opening.
Published 2026-09-01
Open now — apply this month
Finnair
Helsinki-based cabin crew campaign is live through recruitment partner Barona and closes on 6 September 2026 — training starts gradually in early 2027 and is unpaid, so budget for the course. Finnair windows are rare; this is the highest-priority application on the board this month.
easyJet
Cabin crew applications open in September for UK bases, with hundreds of roles attached to summer 2027 rosters. The airline is publicly pushing its over-50s recruitment drive, so career-changers are explicitly welcome; an expression-of-interest pipeline is also running for France.
Emirates
Open Days continue week after week worldwide with no fixed annual calendar. Confirmed September events include a run across Spain (Alicante, Barcelona, Marbella and Malaga in the first half of the month) and a US event in Dallas. Bring an English CV with photo, passport copy and education certificate.
Etihad Airways
Rolling global recruitment continues alongside published Open Days in European cities, including Paris in mid-September. Etihad's format is a CV drop first, with shortlisted candidates asked back the next day for the full assessment — so plan for two consecutive days in the city.
Wizz Air
Recruitment Days run in close to 30 European locations, with September dates confirmed in Venice, Catania (twice), Naples and Chisinau. Dates typically appear only about a month ahead on the Wizz careers events page, so check weekly rather than planning far out.
Ryanair
Assessment days continue across Europe via Ryanair and partners Crewlink and Workforce International, with September events including Manchester, Shannon, Birmingham, Malta, Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa and Budapest. No experience required, and new courses start almost every month.
IndiGo
Walk-in cabin crew interviews run through the month across Indian cities, with September events listed for Gurugram, Mangaluru, Jaipur, Goa and Navi Mumbai. You must register on the goindigo.in careers portal and complete the online assessment before attending, and carry the printed confirmation.
Riyadh Air
Recruitment events keep rolling out globally — recent postings span Riyadh and Jeddah plus international events in Latin America, North Africa and Southeast Asia. Applications are made against a named event rather than a generic pool, so apply to the specific city you can travel to.
Open days & assessment events
| Airline | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Emirates | Spain (Alicante, Barcelona, Marbella, Malaga) and Dallas, USA | Spanish events cluster in the first half of September, each starting around 09:00; the Dallas event is a single hotel-based open day mid-month. Walk-in CV drop format — no invitation needed, but expect long queues and a same-day shortlist. |
| Etihad Airways | Paris, France (plus further European cities announced month by month) | Open Day runs 09:00-17:00 as a drop-in CV screen; shortlisted candidates return the following day for the full assessment. Watch Etihad's SmartRecruiters events listing, where new cities post a few weeks ahead. |
| Wizz Air | Venice, Catania, Naples and Chisinau (Italian bases and CEE) | Recruitment Days start 09:00 or 10:00 sharp at a named hotel and can run to late afternoon. Bring an updated English CV with an ID photo. Registration is through the Wizz Air careers events page for the specific date. |
| Ryanair Group | Manchester, Shannon, Birmingham, Malta, Rome Fiumicino, Milan Malpensa, Budapest | Invitation follows an online application to Ryanair, Crewlink or Workforce International. Assessment days combine a group exercise, reach test and short interview, and successful candidates are pointed at the next available training course. |
| IndiGo | Gurugram, Mangaluru, Jaipur, Goa, Navi Mumbai | Morning walk-in slots, typically 09:00-12:00 or 10:00-13:00. Sequence is height-and-reach check, group discussion and personal interview, then medical and security clearance before the training school. |
| Qatar Airways | Worldwide, digital-first | Qatar has been running CV drops and digital recruitment events rather than a fixed public open-day calendar; the assessment day itself is invite-only after the online application and video interview. Apply online and keep your video interview ready rather than waiting for a local event. |
Closed, paused or filled
American Airlines
Still not open. The application date moved from 24 August to 14 September and was then removed entirely, replaced by a holding message saying applications will open soon. Training is expected to begin in 2027, so prepare now rather than refreshing the page.
Alaska Airlines
The 2026 flight attendant window closed in late July. Alaska recruits in short, sharp bursts against class needs, so set an alert and have the application ready to submit on day one of the next opening.
Hawaiian Airlines
Applications closed alongside Alaska's in the same July window under the combined careers portal. Nothing is currently open; candidates in the pipeline are being processed toward 2027 classes.
Jet2.com
The main seasonal campaign for the 2026 summer has finished. Jet2 recruits every autumn and winter for the following summer, so the realistic next entry point is the summer 2027 campaign; experienced-crew and Team Leader vacancies still appear year-round.
What to do this month
Treat September as a deadline month, not a browsing month. If Helsinki is realistic for you, get the Finnair application in before the 6 September cut-off — that window will not come round again soon, and you should read the unpaid training terms before you commit. If you are UK-based, watch the easyJet careers portal daily this month and apply in the first days of the campaign, because the summer 2027 intake fills from the front of the queue. Everyone else should stop waiting for a local Open Day and work the two channels that are always live: submit or refresh your Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways online applications with a current photo and a recorded video interview, and register for a named Wizz Air, Ryanair or IndiGo event as soon as it posts, since these list roughly a month ahead and fill fast. American Airlines candidates in the US should use the wait productively — finish your resume, gather your documents and rehearse the situational questions now, so that when the date finally appears you are submitting rather than starting.
Check you qualify before the window closes
Answer five questions about your age, reach, tattoos, languages and documents — we check them against every airline's published requirements and show you exactly where you stand.