Work Experience Placements January to March 2026

Duration: 3-5 days

Salary: Voluntary

Location: Various locations across London, Cardiff and Glasgow

Application Closing Date

Start Date: Various dates through January-March 2026

The Programme

“Does a placement at British Airways sound like something you would enjoy?”

The British Airways Work Experience programme offers students from year 10 onwards a way to gain experience in a variety of departments across the business. Students may find themselves exploring the ‘behind the scenes’ world of British Airways, from stepping into the corporate area, learning about how we maintain a profitable yet sustainable business at our HQ Waterside, to getting up, close and personal with our fleet of aircraft on one of our engineering bases, or being on the frontline immersed in the action with the Airport and Ground Operations teams who are responsible for the departures and arrivals of over 80 million passengers a year through Heathrow’s Terminal 5!

Here are some of the placements that you could apply for:

• Customer Service
• Ground Operations
• Heathrow Engineering
• Glasgow Engineering
• Cardiff Engineering
  
  

These exciting ‘once in a term-time’ opportunities will not only increase your knowledge and understanding of ‘What’ we do and ‘How’ we do it, but will also serve to either deepen the desire to pursue a lifelong career with us – in the skies, or on the ground – or make British Airways a visible and viable option for those who would have not even considered us as a potential employer – and why wouldn’t you??

About You

At British Airways, we look out for your potential and attitude, rather than your experience. We can provide the training and help you develop your skills and knowledge, but you need to have that get up and go, positive attitude that we're looking for in the airline industry.

When we're looking at applications for Work Experience, we want to see these qualities come through in your answers:

• Professional and positive attitude
• Passionate about the airline
• Good communication skills
• Self-motivated and proactive
• Strong organisation and prioritisation skills
  
  

What's in it for you?

Your journey continues…

Our Inspire Student Ambassador programme invites students who have completed work experience at British Airways to apply for the ambassador role and further develop their confidence, work readiness and employability skills.

After completing a summer training course, our ambassadors represent us at school activities and British Airways events. The transferable skills and knowledge developed from this programme gives students their second step into an aviation career.

With many of our former work experience students going on to progress to the ambassador programme and then full-time employment with us, it’s the natural next step in your dream aviation career journey!

So, what are you waiting for?

Recruitment process

• Click this link - apply now and you will be taken to Speedbird-Z where you can select which specific placement you would like to apply for.
• Explore which area of British Airways you’d like to gain an insight into (do your research and speak to our mentors!)
• Complete the ‘Intro to….’ task for the placement chosen. Details for this can be found at the end of the module on the type of project you would need to complete
• Apply via the British Airways careers website
• You must upload your project from the task outlined in the module on Speedbird Z, as part of your application under the 'supporting files' tab.
• We will review all applications for eligibility and will let you know via email the outcome of your application.
  
  

Please note, you can only apply for one programme, so choose the area you are most excited to learn more about. You cannot complete more than one work experience placement.

Top Tip: We are looking for applications that show enthusiasm towards the industry!

Please also note that if you are successful in your application for Work Experience with us, you will be required to provide a school consent letter to permit your absence from your school/ college. We strongly recommend asking your teacher if they will provide this consent before applying!