Leyna swaps nails for New York in ‘dream’ switch to Virgin Atlantic
The 24-year old has flown to Miami and Los Angeles after becoming a flight attendant
A YOUNG Shetlander’s career has reached new heights after becoming a flight attendant with Virgin Atlantic.
Leyna Johnston, who is originally from Lerwick, has already flown to Miami, Los Angeles and India since qualifying earlier this year.
It completes a whirlwind year for the former nail technician, who only applied to join the company last summer.
And Johnston, 24, said her sudden career change only came about because of an off-the-cuff comment by a family friend.
“I had never known what I wanted to do,” Johnston told Shetland News.
“Just over a year ago my mam’s friend just randomly said, ‘I could see you being a flight attendant’.
“It was never something that had crossed my mind, but when I thought about it, I was like ‘that actually seems like a good idea’.”
The prospect of jetting off to far-flung destinations to see the world immediately appealed to Johnston, and she soon found herself thinking about it more and more.
Luckily for her, Virgin Atlantic had applications open for new flight attendants at the time – and soon she was putting her name forward.
“As soon as I applied I started thinking, ‘now I actually want this’,” she said.
“I can’t keep my mouth shut, so I was telling everyone about it!
“I just didn’t feel quite settled with what I was doing at the time, and being self-employed you can’t really just up and leave your business to go travelling.”
Johnston, who now lives in Aberdeen, said the initial application was only the start of a “long process” to becoming a flight attendant.
Five weeks later she was encouraged to do an interview video, and by the end of September 2025 she was invited down for a group assessment in London.
Only in the middle of December – around six months after she applied – was she told she had been chosen to undergo full training in London.
“I was so excited the closer I got,” Johnston said.
“I was actually doing a client’s nails when the email came through. I could see it was from Virgin, but the start of the email could have been either successful or not.
“I opened it and said, ‘oh my God, I’ve got the job’ – everyone was just so excited in the salon.”
Johnston then headed to London for five and a half weeks of “intense training” near Gatwick at the end of March 2026.
The new recruits were warned at the start that they were “going to go through so many emotions” throughout the ordeal.
“They said, ‘there will be tears’,” Johnston said.
“I was thinking, ‘we’re all grown adults – I won’t be crying’. But I did fail one of my exams and I couldn’t stop crying.
“I never cried through university at all, but it was because this was so intense.
“You knew that the opportunity could be taken away from you at any point.”
Johnston said it was “such a good feeling” to finally qualify – and then the excitement began about where she would be flying to.
“From the moment I did apply I was dreaming about it,” she said.
“My first destination was New York – you’re flying to destinations that people sometimes save for a lifetime to fly to, so it’s quite a surreal feeling.”
Johnston admitted to being “really nervous” before her first flight, and said there could be nerves still – with a new crew to work with on most trips.
But she said everyone she had worked with so far had been so welcoming and accommodating.
The 24-year old has been all over the USA in her short time as a flight attendant, and has visited India as well – a place she said she “probably never would have gone without this job”.
The chance to see the world has been a massive draw for Johnston.
“You get a bit of time off after flights – it can be 24 hours, but if you’re lucky it could be three nights.
“When the World Cup was on, I was in Miami when Scotland were playing there.
“Some people had spent so much money to get there, and I was there watching it in the fan zone on my day off.
“I couldn’t pack a bag and go away for a year, I like being able to see somewhere for a couple of days and come home.”
Already she has her sights set on a flight to the Caribbean, with its sandy beaches, blue seas and tropical climate extremely appealing for Johnston.
“They [Virgin Atlantic] go to South Korea, that would be really cool,” she said of other dream destinations.
“Thailand would be quite fun as well.”
If you are crossing so many time zones all the time, how do you tackle jet lag?
Johnston said she is still searching for the solution to that age old question.
“I don’t know if there is way to beat it,” she said.
“I was awake for 38 hours at a time after one flight – you fly back and then I had to travel eight hours back to Aberdeen.
“I got home and was like, ‘I’ve literally been awake for almost two days’.”
But she does not regret swapping nails for her Virgin Atlantic uniform.
“I definitely feel like I’m in the right place – this is the most settled I’ve felt in any decision.
“At school I just never would have thought of this being a career option.
“I feel so grateful and lucky I have the opportunity to do this.”
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