Mass exodus of fighter pilots from ‘woke’ RAF to airlines including Virgin Atlantic sparks national security fears

FIFTY-two fighter pilots quit the RAF in the past two years — with some doubling their pay with airlines. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic alone recruited six, after they had cost taxpayers around £10million each to train. Six fighter pilots have quit the RAF to take up jobs with Virgin Atlantic Credit: Getty The pilots joining Richard Branson’s airline are among 52 to quit the RAF in the past two years Credit: Reuters The 52 were Top Guns on the F-35 Lightning and Typhoon. Their departures coincided with a Virgin Atlantic recruitment campaign, revealed by The Sun in 2024. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! RAF pilots, who can quit after six years’ frontline service, typically earn £50,000 to £55,000, while airlines can offer £100,000-plus. Sources claim woke RAF recruitment that held back white men was also to blame. The exodus, revealed by a Freedom of Information request, is raising fears over maintaining enough RAF pilots for national security. One air force source said: “The RAF spends a decade and a fortune creating these incredible aviators. “It then watches airlines including Virgin Atlantic pinch them for twice the pay — and a fraction of the risk. “We’ve got Russian bombers probing our airspace. We’re losing the very people we need.” Most read in The Sun Virgin Atlantic sources said the airline had hired six fast jet pilots since 2024. The firm said it “values the wealth of skills, experience, and professionalism” of military pilots. Comment now