Young guns Kate McWilliams and Luke Elsworth are proving they are real high flyers.

Kate, 26, believed to be the world’s youngest commercial airline captain, and Luke, 19, the UK’s youngest pilot, took control of an easyJet flight from Gatwick to Malaga last week.

Kate McWilliams, originally from Carlisle, says she gets quizzed about her age by cabin crew and passengers almost every day and most are “pleasantly surprised and impressed” by her achievements at such a young age.

Earlier this year Luke Elsworth, from Warrigton , began flying British holidaymakers around the world – after qualifying as the UK’s youngest commercial airline pilot.

He was appointed a first officer with easyJet in April and completed his final checks before taking over the controls in July.

Luke of Appleton, near Warrington, Cheshire, said: “I really want to encourage more younger people to get into it.

“If you’re good enough to be there, you’ve done the training and you’re suited towards it then I don’t think age really has an impact.”

He enrolled in the airline’s pilot training programme at CTC Aviation in Southampton almost as soon as they would accept him - just nine days after turning 18.

He completed the course - which included six months on simulators and a stint flying light aircraft in Arizona, USA - in 18 months and he was appointed as a first officer in April.

In May 2011 Ms McWilliams joined the airline as a first officer and recently took up the rank of captain after passing their command course.

An easyJet spokeswoman said the Luton-based airline has carried out research which leads it to believe she is the youngest commercial airline captain in the world.

After taking up flying in the air cadets aged 13, Miss McWilliams made her first solo flight aged 16 and went on to train as a pilot on her 19th birthday.

Just five per cent of commercial pilots are female and last year easyJet announced an initiative to double the proportion of female new entrants to 12 per cent over two years.

Miss McWilliams said: “Personally I don’t think my age matters. I’ve been through the same training and passed the same command course as every other captain so I’ve proven myself capable regardless of my age.

“I do now get asked how old I am on an almost daily basis which didn’t used to happen when I was a first officer.

“Usually that question comes from the cabin crew but sometimes passengers ask too.

(MEN)