Post-Graduate Aviation Management Scheme – Flying Start

So your MSc is coming to an end and you are wondering what to do next?  Why not consider an internship with Flight Directors by enrolling on our Flying Start program?

Flying Start can offer you the opportunity to put your theory in to practice whilst working with some of the world’s most exciting airlines.  It offers you the chance to develop your skill sets and get involved in many different aspects of aviation, whether your interests lie with sales, marketing, analysis, reservations, distribution technologies or a mixture of all.  Flying Start will offer you hands on experience and the opportunity to make an impact right from day 1.

The experience allows you to be fully immersed but also gives you the head room to grow and shine in your chosen area whilst being supported by a highly skilled team.

Crafting you for the Future!!

We take this part seriously, it's all about you and is one of the main reasons why we are proud of the Flying Start program. Your journey began with an interest in Aviation, leading you onto achieving an MSc in Air Transport Management. Now it's our turn to really develop you, the whole person.

You will be mentored by Paul Argyle our Managing Director. You will be involved in all aspects of the airline business, embracing the multicultural diversity that our portfolio of airlines have. As part of your development, you will realise very quickly that you are not an outsider looking in, quite the opposite you are inside looking out and working alongside your colleagues in Flight Directors to grow our business and of course yourself.

About the Programme:

Flying Start is an exclusive internship program for postgraduates from UK universities that is specially designed for ambitious and bright young commercial minds who want to start their career in aviation. This internship scheme aims to provide an opportunity for young talents to not just learn but also to apply the Air Transport theory into the airline commercial world. After a company induction, you’ll start understanding how airlines work in real life and will soon be ready to work alongside the sales and commercial team on various commercial projects and bring fresh ideas to the table.

Learn: Developing skills, experience in airline sales, marketing, market analysis, GDS pricing analysis, travel technologies, commercial partnerships and much more responsibility from Day 1.

Guidance: Mentorship from Managing Director, Membership of “Generation Next” team and buddy system with previous scheme member.

Role: Working alongside Account Managers, Sales Director, Airline Country Managers and Airline Head Office Management Teams.

Train: Professional training in at least one major GDS systems and airline database.

Explore & Network: Opportunity to attend major conferences in the aviation and travel industry.

Travel: Opportunity to go on business trips and visit airlines worldwide, also reduced or discounted flights with our partner airlines. (Shadowing with Country Manager)

Certificate of completion.

Choose a scheme that suits you:

1.12 months (Sandwich Internship)

2.24 months (Post-course Internship) 

3.36 months (Final year plus course Internship)

What do your peers say about us?

Karin Ochiai

“This internship gave me the opportunity to learn practical skills and narrow down what I wanted to do in the aviation industry. As an international post-grad in the UK, the welcoming atmosphere and nice colleagues helped me a lot to learn how to work in the all-English work environment.”

Bruna De Oliveira

"Flight Directors is a fantastic place to work and learn, and from day 1 I felt part of a tight-knit team who work very well together. The founder of Flight Directors, Paul Argyle, has created an inspiring environment for employees to share ideas, collaborate, and transform the future of travel. As a new graduate hire, this was an excellent environment to transition from theoretical to practical knowledge of the industry, and I grew personally and professionally from Paul's leadership."

Federico Romero

My experience as an intern in Flight Directors was a really rewarding one for both ends. I was finishing my career in Colombia as an Industrial Engineer and had the opportunity to learn and apply my knowledge in an environment that was ever welcoming, and nurturing for my knowledge to keep growing. I gained a lot of experience in the travel industry, application of technology in business, database management and customer analysis among others. The whole team was always willing to guide and help me. I almost did not want to fly home! I have nothing but great memories working there and will always keep Flight Directors close to my heart.

Mi experiencia como becario/practicante en Flight Directors fue realmente gratificante para ambas partes. Mientras terminaba mi carrera en Colombia como Ingeniero Industrial, tuve la oportunidad de unirme al equipo en el Reino Unido, con quienes aprendí y aplique mis conocimientos en un ambiente que siempre fue acogedor y propicio para expandir mis conocimientos. Obtuve un gran nivel de experiencia en la industria de viajes, aplicación de tecnología en negocios, manejo de bases de datos, así como análisis de clientes entre otros. Todo el equipo siempre estuvo dispuesto a guiarme y ayudarme. ¡En realidad no quería regresar a casa! No tengo más que grandes recuerdos trabajando allí y siempre mantendré a Flight Directors cerca de mi corazón.

Bilal Kaleem

"My internship with Flight Directors was my first foray into a professional career. To call the experience anything short of a mesmerising roller coaster ride would not serve it justice. The  experiences which were a part of my internship exposed me to myriad avenues within aviation - such as wet lease operations, winning new business for the company's GSA portfolio and liaison with the uber important Civil Aviation Authority"

Kathy

When I was doing my MSc Air Transport Management at the University of Surrey, I proudly received an offer from Flight Directors to join them as a Marketing & Distribution Intern. I must say working at Flight Directors was one of the most unforgettable UK experiences for me.

From my memory, Flight Directors is a warm family business that cases and loves its employees. I felt that since the first day as I could not find the office when I was on my way to work. Then Sally drove down and gave me a lift to the office.

On my first day at the office, Paul who is the founder of Flight Directors sit down with me and explained the vision of Flight Directors for me, and discussed something that I can't learn from my MSc courses such as flight distribution landscape and the business model of GSA. I was impressed by Paul's insights and detail-minded personality. This makes me feel so special as I did not receive any introduction similar to my previous intern experience. From my first conversion with Paul, every word and sentence showed Paul’s deep passion for the aviation industry and his forward-thinking company.

During my internship, I was influenced by Paul’s leadership, decision-making skills, and entrepreneurship. He is a strong believer in “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”.  Apart from Paul.  I learnt many insights from Vikki on the UK aviation market,  participated in the integration project with Chinese company AliPay, and worked alongside the sales team to assist Tianjin Airlines in the UK market. All the experience above is useful and valuable to my future career.

Now, I went back to China for more than three years. I still really miss the experience of working in this “castle” like office. Finally, may I take this opportunity to wish everyone all the best and I am sure we will meet again soon.

Nicolás Rojas Nino

Alternative Airlines was a dream come true for me. Working at a fast-growing, tech-driven company helped me develop my software development skills and industry knowledge very quickly. The team was welcoming from day one, helping me accommodate to a new country and taking care of everything I needed to work comfortably. I was given a lot of responsibility in my duties, which helped me grow professionally and increase my self-confidence. Working with such an ambitious and competent team inspired me to start my own entrepreneurial journey.

Tell us about what inspires you to choose Aviation as your career:

You can use one of the options below to approach us,

1. Email us at [email protected].

2. LinkedIn with one of us and chat.

3. Record your story by calling us on 01293 874965.