Graduates, Business Placements & Interns
Our graduate schemes, business placements and summer internships offer a chance to join a dynamic and diverse team that’s playing a lead role in the future of flying. Whatever you’re studying, we’ll have a programme that fits your ambitions. Bring your passion to make real impact from day one, and get your career off to a flying start.
Applications for graduates, business placements, and interns starting in 2027, are now open. Below, you can see which schemes are available this year, entry requirements, and the step by step application process.
Graduate opportunities for 2026
Discover BA
Short term work experience opportunities including our week-long placements and insight days. This is your chance to immerse yourself in the world of British Airways.
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Summer Internship
If you’re a university student who is passionate to learn more about the aviation industry, a 10-week summer internship is a great way to start. You can come from any degree discipline to join us.
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Future Leader Business Placement
Our 11-month business placements are designed to help ambitious students studying a sandwich degree develop into business professionals. Future Leader Business Placements take place at London Heathrow.
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Engineering Wales Business Placement
Second-year engineering students spend 11 months at our Barry, Cardiff site to gain hands-on industry experience as part of their sandwich degree.
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Engineering Technical
If you come from an Aeronautical or Mechanical Engineering discipline, you can join our Technical programme, where you will put your expertise into practice and may be part of influencing the roll-out of our new business class seats, inspecting a new aircraft after delivery, or being involved in our new cabin design.
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Engineering Planning & Supply Chain
Strategic planning underpins our Planning & Supply Chain programme, enabling the engineering function to tick. You could be helping to decide which aircraft enter and leave the business, assisting with the maintenance schedule for our long and short-haul fleets, and managing huge volumes of suppliers for a smooth operation.
Learn moreWhy British Airways?
We want all our people to feel valued for the role they play at British Airways. That includes all our emerging talent. It’s why our graduates and apprentices get the same benefits as our other colleagues, right from the day they join. Here are just some of the rewards you’ll get to enjoy when you arrive at British Airways. They include some rather good travel perks, too.
Discounted travel
Heavily discounted air travel for yourself, friends and family accompanied with a generous annual leave entitlement of 22 days to turn your bucket list into reality.
Champion Sustainability
Play a part in driving our sustainability agenda through fundraising for charity partners, volunteering for charities or championing our colleague diversity networks.
Become an ambassador
Access our Graduate and Apprentice Networks to learn from current and former colleagues on our schemes, and volunteer to inspire the next generation to consider an aviation career.
Your application journey
Before you apply
Register an account on our Discover & Prep hub. Explore what it's like to work at British Airways, check your eligibility and prepare for the assessment process ahead.
Stage 1 - Online assessment
Once you have completed the activities on our Discover & Prep hub, you can begin your application. You will then be invited to complete an online assessment.
Stage 2 - Video interview
Successful candidates will then be invited to complete an Interactive Video Interview to assess your motivation and fit for the role.
Stage 3 - Assessment Centre
If you reach the final stage, you will be invited to Waterside for an Assessment Centre where you will complete an interview and work related exercises.
Entry requirements for Graduate schemes
Discover BA
Duration: 1-3 days depending on programme
Location: London Heathrow
Requirements: First- and Second-year university students
Salary: Voluntary opportunity
You have a choice out of four Discover BA programmes including; Business Placement, Engineering Placement, Black Heritage Futures, or Future Pathways, to gain a unique introduction to life at British Airways and the wider aviation industry. During the programme you’ll have the chance to connect with our teams, ask questions, and start building a professional network to support your future career.
Summer Internship
Duration: 10-Weeks
Location: London Heathrow
Requirement: First or second year student when completing the internship. Minimum predicted 2:2 degree, or equivalent in any subject.
Salary: £26,000 Pro Rata
A summer-long scheme for students, from any degree discipline, tailored to your career ambitions, strengths, and areas of development. We’re interested in different perspectives and viewpoints, so be sure to bring fresh thinking and new ideas.
Heathrow Business Placement
Duration: 11-Months
Location: London Heathrow
Requirements: Second-year student for third-year Industrial Placement, sandwich degree
Salary: £26,000 Pro Rata
An 11-month placement giving you through exposure to different business areas across the airline, and involvement in a variety of significant projects. Your placement will refine your business skills and commercial thinking.
Finance
This opportunity is currently closed
Duration: 3 Years
Location: London Heathrow
Requirements: Minimum 2:2 degree or equivalent
Salary: £34,500
Over three years, you’ll complete three rotational placements, gaining broad exposure across Finance. You will develop experience in how modern finance teams use data, automation and AI to drive better outcomes, with support for studying towards a professional qualification (CIMA, ACCA or ACA).
Engineering Wales Business Placement
Duration: 11-Months
Location: British Airways Engineering Wales, Barry, Cardiff
Requirements: Second-year student for third-year Industrial Placement, sandwich degree.
Salary: £23,875 Pro Rata
During this 11-month business placement, you’ll gain hands-on experience in a fast-paced, professional environment. This is a flexible and dynamic role, designed to help you develop strong business acumen, and refine your professional etiquette in a real-world setting.
Engineering Technical
Duration: 2 Years
Location: London Heathrow
Requirements: Minimum 2:2 degree or equivalent, in a discipline involving mechanical or aeronautical engineering, achieved or expected.
Salary: £33,000
Your technical knowledge will drive key business decisions, ensuring our aircraft are safe and reliable, tackling a mix of new and old technology for a fleet of over 250 aircraft. You could be influencing the roll out of new business class seats; inspecting a new aircraft after delivery; or being part of our largest cabin design for the new Boeing 777-X.
Engineering Business
Duration: 2 Years
Location: London Heathrow
Requirements: Minimum 2:2 degree or equivalent, in any subject, either achieved or expected.
Salary: £33,000
Through a series of placements, you’ll gain a breadth of exposure to our incredible operation and manage high volumes of suppliers from around the world. You could be organising maintenance schedules while developing the efficiency, cost, time, and quality of our maintenance strategy and how we decide which aircraft enters and exits the business.
Speedbird-Z
Like what you see? Explore more of the world of aviation by registering to our dedicated student website, Speedbird-Z.
This one-stop-shop gives you the opportunity to directly chat online with our colleagues, register for upcoming events we are running or attending, and complete learning modules to build your confidence in employability, as well as learn more about British Airways.
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Apprentices Our full-time apprenticeships have been designed to give you the best possible start to your career in one of the most exciting industries you can work in. -
Work Experience & School Programmes It doesn’t matter what your background is, or where you come from. It’s where you’re going that we care about.