Air New Zealand has announced the launch of its first-ever Mangōpare Pilot Cadetship, an accelerated training programme designed to address potential pilot shortages and encourage more Kiwis to pursue a career in aviation.
The cadetship is intended to reduce the financial barriers associated with pilot training by covering most training and living expenses, and shorten the training period from the usual 24-36 months to approximately 14 months.
Applications opened today, with the initial successful 30 candidates to be selected for the first cohort starting in September 2024.
Captain David Morgan, chief operational integrity and safety officer at Air NZ, told AM while the airline covers the majority of the training costs, graduates will be "bonded" to the airline.
"It'll be largely funded by Air NZ, but a small component will be funded by the cadet themselves," said Morgan.
"If somebody has dreamed of being a pilot with Air NZ, at the moment you're constrained in a way, because student loan funding in New Zealand does not cover the entire cost of learning to fly. That can be a significant barrier to some people and we want to remove that barrier."
According to Careers.govt.nz, pilots who fly for airlines or the military usually earn $48,000 - $148,000 per year.
The cadets will undergo training primarily in the US state of Arizona, where they will learn to fly single and multi-engine planes. Following this, they will complete simulator sessions in Dubai to become type-rated for the ATR72-600 aircraft.
Morgan said the cadetship is intended to create the opportunity for people to become pilots who otherwise would not be able to.
"The person on the East Coast dreaming of becoming a pilot, the guy down south who sees an aeroplane coming across - or girl. I mean, we've got to get more diversity. If you look at the 1700 pilots in Air NZ, we do not have enough woman pilots, nor do we have enough ethnic diversity. We need to see that future built into this program as well."
The cadetship website lists eligibility requirements which are needed and says successful candidates will have good study skills, resilience, excellent teamwork abilities, ability to perform under pressure and a genuine passion for aviation.
Applications for the Mangōpare Pilot Cadetship are open until July 8.
