Hong Kong Airlines launches pilot training programme
Carrier hopes to take on as many as 15 new trainee pilots this year as the airline expands its fleet of aircraft
A lack of available qualified pilots has pushed Hong Kong Airlines to launch its own cadet pilot programme, in an effort to fill vacancies for its expanding fleet of aircraft.
With the mainland-owned airline expecting to increase its fleet size to 50 by the end of 2019 from 33 at present, it is partnering with a flight academy to begin training eight to 15 candidates this year.
Candidates will go through a 70-week training course, 15 weeks longer than its bigger rival Cathay Pacific Airways’ existing training programme.
The programme allows people with no flight experience to apply, and it costs Hong Kong Airlines about HK$1 million for each candidate.
“This is going to support career establishment of a new generation in Hong Kong,” Hong Kong Airlines vice-chairman Tang King-shing said at a three-day job expo which drew 4,000 job seekers on Friday. Tang retired in 2011 as the city’s police commissioner.
The training centre, which is located in New Zealand, is run by L3 Commercial Training Solutions.