MAEL’s demise left dozens of aspiring engineers’ training in jeopardy but BA has stepped in to offer them a way forward to gain a range of important qualifications.

Earlier this year, BA invited MAEL apprentices affected by the company’s collapse to its engineering base at Heathrow airport. All 48 apprentices later accepted an offer to continue their apprenticeships with the airline to complete their Easa Part-66 A licence and obtain their NVQs in aircraft maintenance.

The announcement coincides with National Apprenticeship Week (March 4-8), which will also see BA welcome its first intake of cabin crew apprentices.

Jason Mahoney, British Airways’ director of engineering, said: “We’re committed to investing in the very best talent and are passionate about supporting development within the Engineering community.

“Having met the apprentices and seeing how driven, hard-working and capable they are, I knew they would be the perfect fit for our team. Helping them to qualify as aircraft engineers with British Airways is a fantastic outcome for everyone involved.”

Lee Rome, one of the former Monarch apprentices who will be joining British Airways, added: “We were all facing an uncertain future following the events that took place at Monarch in January.

“Myself, and many of my colleagues, felt our dreams of becoming qualified aircraft engineers slipping away. I couldn’t be more grateful to British Airways for taking us all on and allowing us to complete our apprenticeship – we’re all so excited to begin our British Airways journey.”