AN East Lancashire woman is flying high in Dubai after getting a royal seal of approval for a career change.
Laura Clarke, 22, of Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, beat hundreds of competitors from around the world in a rigorous selection process to become a member of Emirates Airlines cabin crew.
And now that she has passed her examinations and been given the final approval for her appointment but the King of the United Arab Emirates, who verifies all new employees, she is finally airborne.
Laura, a former pupil of St. Wilfrid's High School, Blackburn, endured two eight-hour interviews in London and had to have her appearance assessed to make sure she had the right look for the prestigious airline.
This included being between 5ft 2in and 5ft 10in tall with her weight in proportion to her height, having a clear complexion and not being a spectacle-wearer.
Her position as a cabin crew member will take her to Sydney, Egypt, South Africa, Nairobi, Pakistan, India and the East Indies, which is a far cry from her previous employment as a Pontins bluecoat and the manager of an organisation marketing Blackpool as a tourist destination.
She is now involved in a five-month training course in Dubai enduring temperatures of up to 120F, but ultimately plans to become a travel writer once she has learned as many different aspects of the travel industry as she can.
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