Project Wingman sees airline staff man a lounge where health care workers can enjoy refreshments, unwind or talk.

Carriers signed up for the scheme include Norwegian, easyJet, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Tui, Jet2 and Loganair.

“We want to look after the wellbeing of all frontline NHS staff,” said professor Rob Bor, a consultant clinical psychologist at The Whittington Hospital where the project was launched.

"We immediately thought of airline staff and reached out to them to support us.

"Many airline crews have been grounded by the global effects of Covid-19 and we recognised that this represents a rich resource of a uniformed and disciplined workforce, used to problem-solving and providing care."

Having launched on 3 April at The Whittington Hospital in North London, the initiative has now extended to North Middlesex, Basildon, Southend and Mid-Essex, with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone, Worthing, Frimley Park and York in the pipeline.

Billal Draifi, a member of Norwegian’s long haul cabin crew, is in charge of training and induction for volunteers.

He said: “Frontline NHS staff are doing an incredible job under immense pressure and we are doing everything that we can to support and help them throughout this unprecedented situation."

Project Wingman is hoping to expand to the US, New Zealand, Japan and Australia.