Cebu Pacific offers ‘study now, pay later’ pilot training in Australia
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
AMID a global shortage of airline pilots, Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) is offering a “study now, pay later” pilot training program in Australia.
CEB Corporate Communication director Charo Lagamon said the airline will be recruiting 16 candidates for its US$25 million pilot training program at Flight Training Adelaide (FTA). Applicants need not have any prior experience or training.
“The Cebu Pacific Cadet Pilot Program will enable everyJuan to achieve the dream of becoming a pilot. This program will allow us to train homegrown Filipino pilots with best-in-class international standards,” said CEB president Lance Gokongwei.
“The candidates need not worry about shelling out money for tuition to flying school to achieve their dream. Cebu Pacific will shoulder the cost first and expose candidates to one of the best pilot training facilities in the world,” he said.
“Through this program, we aim to have continued access to a pool of highly skilled aviators that would support our growth,” he added.
Under the 52-week program at FTA, the cadet pilots will learn about flight theory, undergo flight training, and earn a diploma in Aviation to become licensed commercial pilots, Lagamon said.
Once they complete the program, the cadet pilots become First Officers at CEB and join its corps of aviators, flying domestic and international routes. The average entry-level salary for a pilot is P120,000.
Lagamon said the program is open to all Filipinos who are college graduates, proficient in English, and hold passports valid for at least two years.
The recruitment period for the second batch of cadets pilots had ended and the airline is expected to announce soon when the recruitment for the next batch will start.
Applicants will undergo online pre-screening before an on-site screening for core skills and pilot aptitude tests, among other examinations, where a fee of AU$425.00 (about PHP17,000) will be charged.
CEB and FTA will then jointly select the final cadet pilots through a final interview and deliberation. After completing pre-departure training, the cadet pilots are then sent to the FTA campus in Adelaide, Australia.
They will train using a flight simulator and fly an actual aircraft to complete the licensing requirements to become a commercial pilot.
After 52 weeks at FTA, they will return to Manila for four weeks of training to get a pilot’s license from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
The cadet pilot will reimburse the airline later for the training through salary deduction “over a maximum of ten years at zero-interest.”
Lagamon said the first batch of CEB cadet pilots had been selected and are completing their requirements and pre-departure training before they fly to Australia by April 2018.
Aircraft maker Boeing Co. said in 2016 that there would be a global demand for 637,000 new pilots in the next two decades to mitigate the shortage.
From 2017 to 2036, the Asia-Pacific region will need 253,000 new pilots and 256,000 new aircraft technicians, Boeing added.