Dubai, March 31: — Emirates Airlines honoured 24 Emirati graduates of the latest National Cadet Pilot Programme at a ceremony held at the auditorium of the airline’s headquarters on Wednesday.
Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, presented trophies and certificates to the graduates who successfully completed the two-and-a-half-year programme.
“As a result of the ongoing support from His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, a quarter of the Emirates senior management are UAE Nationals and the number of UAE pilots is steadily increasing,” said Shaikh Ahmed.
“What’s particularly special about our latest batch (2011) is that they are the last to complete our programme in Adelaide at Parafield Airport, Australia,” said Captain Abdulla Al Hammadi, National Cadet Pilot Manager. “The coming trainees will start their programme at Jerez Airport in Spain, which is considered a suitable geographical location easing travel from Dubai for the students.”
“There is an open budget for the training programme, yet approximately, over Dh50 million is dedicated to the UAE National Cadet Pilot Programme, excluding their monthly salaries. In addition to today’s graduates, over 180 UAE nationals are still undergoing the Emirates Airline National Cadet Pilot Training Programme,” he added.
Launched in 1992 in the UK, Emirates’ National Cadet Pilot Programme comprises a Foundation Course in English and Aviation Science conducted in Dubai, for over about 12 months. Cadets then spend a year at Flight Training, to gain Commercial Pilot’s License with a Multi-Engine Instrument Rating (CPL/Multi IR). In the third phase of the programme, spread over six months, the cadets train on flight simulators at the Emirates Training College in Dubai.
–Agencies–