Free flight training

[typhoonpilot]

Etihad launches global pilot cadet scheme


Abu Dhabi's Etihad is launching a worldwide cadet scheme for aspiring first officers as fast-growing airlines in the Middle East and Asia battle to recruit enough pilots.

It will complement Etihad's existing cadet programme for UAE nationals, which started last year as part of a campaign to convince more locals to train as pilots with the flag carrier.

Although global demand means the pool of experienced first officers is rapidly draining, this is believed to be one of the first times a major carrier has promoted a scheme to train and offer jobs to foreign youngsters with no flying experience.

Etihad plans to launch its first course around June, with a group of 12 would-be pilots. Two further intakes of 12 will follow later in the year. The trainees - school-leavers or college graduates - will move to Abu Dhabi where they will do around 18 months of ab initio training at Horizon Flight Academy, followed by several months of instruction and line-flying under supervision as second officers. They will pay back their fees over eight years as bonded pilots.

The airline, which is expecting a "massive response" to its first advertisements, is looking for "people with a passion who are committed to being a pilot as a long-term career", says Etihad's executive vice-president operations Richard Hill. "We will be selecting from the top percentile of applicants - the cream of the crop," he adds.

A total of 48 students will join the separate scheme for UAE nationals in the first year. The airline is keeping the two groups apart initially because of different skills sets and competence in English, but they will be integrated as soon as they begin their flying careers. "We want to make sure there is no divisiveness," says Hill.

Etihad has a fleet of 37 aircraft and will take delivery of 16 more by 2011, including seven Airbus A330s and four A320s Dubai-based rival Emirates says it has no plans to launch a similar scheme, although, like Etihad, it runs a cadet programme for nationals.* Flight International will be covering Etihad's plans in detail in our Careers in the Middle East supplement with our 8 April issue.

Separately, the carrier as a major sponsor of Ferrari F1 this season the team unveiled its 2008 livery at the Australian Grand Prix.



It's not showing on their website yet, but this news announcement just came out yesterday the 14th of March.



Typhoonpilot

[surreal1221]

TP,

You happen to know if the company is interested in hiring already certificated commercial pilots?

Or must everyone go through their cadet program.

[N826AW]

Their pay and bennies are not bad at all. The only thing is you have to live in Abu Dhabi. 1500TT/1000 Glass/ATP and you meet the requirements for an A320 FO.

[SpiraMirabilis]

Am I the only one who got a vision of a man twisting his mustache because it's called a "scheme"?

[typhoonpilot]

Originally Posted by SpiraMirabilis

Am I the only one who got a vision of a man twisting his mustache because it's called a "scheme"?

Scheme is a widely used word in Europe without the negative connotations that are associated with it in the USA.


TP

[E6BAV8R]

They will pay back their fees over eight years as bonded pilots.

Am I the only one that saw that?

[rjmore]

Originally Posted by E6BAV8R

Am I the only one that saw that?

I think if a company takes you from zero to hero they have every right to require that you work for them or pay it back. The program is for guys that have zero time to get flight training and go straight to an international airline. My way, paying with loans and working as an instructor and then 7 years at a regional before getting to an international carrier ain't any better. When you consider that I am still paying the loans I would have gladly given them 8 years to have widebody time and no flight training debt.

[JA Yawd Bwoy]

Originally Posted by rjmore

I think if a company takes you from zero to hero they have every right to require that you work for them or pay it back. The program is for guys that have zero time to get flight training and go straight to an international airline. My way, paying with loans and working as an instructor and then 7 years at a regional before getting to an international carrier ain't any better. When you consider that I am still paying the loans I would have gladly given them 8 years to have widebody time and no flight training debt.

No not even Yeah That, HELL YEAH, only prob I have is living in the Middle East so to speak for almost two years. although I hear it is preety nice, especially Dubai

[E6BAV8R]

Originally Posted by rjmore

I think if a company takes you from zero to hero they have every right to require that you work for them or pay it back. The program is for guys that have zero time to get flight training and go straight to an international airline. My way, paying with loans and working as an instructor and then 7 years at a regional before getting to an international carrier ain't any better. When you consider that I am still paying the loans I would have gladly given them 8 years to have widebody time and no flight training debt.

I think you missed the point. You will have flight training debt.

[rjmore]

I think you are paying it back with 8 years of service not payroll deduct or anything like that. Most bonding is a pay if you leave type deal that eventually zeros out. You don't owe it unless you leave early.

[pouya700]

hi

So when are they going to do that, i saw on thier web site that you have to be UAE national in order to be in that program. when are they going to accept foreign students to this program?

[N826AW]

They just posted it.

http://careers.etihadairways.com/ehi...obListing.aspx

It's under 'Cadet Pilot'.

18 month training program followed by a 72 month contract to stay with them. AED6,000 per month stipend = USD1,666. They'll pay up to AED500,000 for training.

It sounds like a great program. Though the 6 year contract is a big sticking point. If they slash pilot pay or work rules it makes it harder to bail and come back to the states.

[typhoonpilot]

Etihad Airways of Abu Dhabi has opened up their cadet program to all nationalities. This is a rare opportunity to get free flight training with a guaranteed job.

Etihad Cadet Programme


Typhoonpilot

[typhoonpilot]

More on Etihad and their plans:

Etihad to order up to 100 jetliners this summer

by Tim Hepher on Wednesday, 26 March 2008

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways plans to order between 50 and 100 jetliners this summer, an executive said on Wednesday, setting up what could be one of the year's big battles between jetmakers Airbus and Boeing.

The purchases could include a repeat order for the Airbus A380 superjumbo, the world's largest passenger jet, four of which are already due to join the Etihad fleet in 2013.

The airline, owned by the Abu Dhabi government, is seeking to expand its network in the Middle East and to nations including India to compete with regional giants Emirates and Qatar Airways.



Francis Ebner, director general for Etihad's operations in France, told a media briefing on the Gulf airline industry that the airline would order planes in all three main categories.

These are the very large A380, which seats 525 people, or the slightly smaller Boeing 747-8; the mid-sized Boeing 787 Dreamliner or the Airbus A350; and the single-aisle Airbus A320 or Boeing 737.

Aviation demand is predicted to dip in 2008 after a record 2007 but the Gulf has been a surprisingly steady source of demand for passenger jets alongside Asian low-cost carriers.

"We will order 50 planes this summer for delivery in 2013," Ebner said, adding afterwards that the total order could rise to 100 aircraft including all three categories.

Etihad said last year it was evaluating the A350 against the Boeing 787. An order of 50 planes in this category would be worth around $10 billion.

Etihad, the youngest of the major Gulf airlines, operates five wide-body Boeing 777-300ERs and 28 Airbus aircraft including wide-body A330s and A340s.

It already plans to boost its fleet to 50 planes serving 60 destinations by 2010, Ebner said.

Dubai-based Emirates, the A380 plane's largest customer, said deliveries are running on schedule after two years of production delays.

"The deliveries are due to be on time and in some cases even a few weeks early," Jean-Luc Grillet, head of Emirates operations in France and Benelux, told the same media event.

The ability of European planemaker Airbus to stick to its revised schedule of 13 A380 deliveries in total this year is seen as one of the factors driving the stock price of parent EADS.

Airbus has said delivering the plane on time is one of its top priorities for 2008.

Emirates will receive two A380s in August, another two later in 2008 and one at the beginning of next year, Grillet said.

The A380 went into service with Singapore Airlines in October 2007.

[Kristie]

Please don't post that this is "free" training, it's not...you have to work for the company for oh so many years in order to "pay" the training off. we all know that and the JC public shouldn't have to deal with dishonest marketing like this. That's just bad form.

Also, you'd already started a post with this topic already, so i merged the two together for you.

[bap327]

18-26? What about us old guys? I still have 25 years I can give them!

[coa787]

I wonder if the Cadet Pilot Programme will be open to all nationalities next year after I graduate high school. If it is, I might actually do it. I'll get a four-year college degree online after I finish training, and, after eight years of service, move back here and fly for a U.S. carrier.

[OldTownPilot]

I'm thinking of applying. Maybe. I dunno.

If they say no the result is the same as before. If they say yes, i have a choice to make. I just don't want to have to make that choice.

[SeanD]

Dohhh I was ready to apply. Im too friggin old. I would love to do this. Oh well.

[Customx]

I think I may apply and see what happens since I'll be turning 27 later this year and have nothing to lose. Does anyone know where the pilots are based?

[scramjet]

Very interesting! I've been looking at cadet programs quite extensively, but most are only open to nationals. A friend of mine in the UK told me that BA's program had no nationality restrictions, but I think he was mistaken on that. Plus they haven't had a class in awhile...

What about vision? I wear glasses, but my vision is correctable to 20/20 or better under certain conditions. I know some foreign airlines are sticklers about that.

Maybe I'll try, but I doubt I'll get it. I wonder how long it will last?

[scramjet]

In answer to my previous question about how long it will last: the job posting has an expiration date of December 31, 2008, so at least that long.



I don't know, something don't smell exactly right though. It's not really a bad smell, but the smell of something that could be bad. (Ok, that is not a good analogy but it's 1:20am HA!) Inexperienced youngsters from the Western world going to spend what was it six years of their life in a monarchy where many social concepts that they are used to are outlawed or restricted (free speech for instance)... Maybe I'm being a little bit ignorant (and expats who live in the UAE, fill me in if I am), but things could get sour.

[typhoonpilot]

Originally Posted by Kristie

Please don't post that this is "free" training, it's not...you have to work for the company for oh so many years in order to "pay" the training off. we all know that and the JC public shouldn't have to deal with dishonest marketing like this. That's just bad form.

Also, you'd already started a post with this topic already, so i merged the two together for you.

Kirstie, I'm sorry but I vehemently disagree with you. This website is meant as a forum to help people in the beginning of their aviation career. This plan is an excellent and very rare opportunity to forego the cost of student loans and years of working for substandard wages in the U.S. aviation industry. Opportunities like this only come along every other blue moon. I posted it once in the other area when it first came out. I posted the link to the application in the general section to give it the exposure it deserves.

Let me say this once again, this is HUGE . A flying job where they are actually paying you while you are learning to fly. Where you are guaranteed a position in a global airline. Where you can gain invaluable experience in a multi-cultural environment.

Notice now the members who are actually thinking about it.

I'm not involved with Etihad or their program. I work for the competition down the road.

I'll be here to answer the members questions and continue posting opportunities that are beneficial to your members. That is what I do because I enjoy helping people.


Typhoonpilot

[typhoonpilot]

you have to work for the company for oh so many years in order to "pay" the training off.

Pay starts while in training. Housing is provided by the company.

The training pay while a cadet is $1625/month.

Pay as a first year pilot under the cadet program is significantly higher. Probably closer to $3000/month. Pay once fully qualified would be in the region of $5000 to $6000/month. That is tax free and doesn't include accommodation. Etihad provides a housing allowance to their pilots of close to $30,000/year. Either that or company furnished accommodation in Abu Dhabi.

Why would anybody leave that within 7 years to go to the USA and make $2000/month as a regional First Officer? The regionals are going to stagnate and guys are going to be First Officers for a long time at sub-standard wages.

Abu Dhabi is a cosmopolitan city with big plans for tourism and business development. They pump over 2.5 million barrels of oil per day. They are spending $200 Billion on infrastructure in the next few years.

Look at these sites to see some of the plans for the city:

www.yas.ae

www.aldar.com

www.sorouh.com


Typhoonpilot

[LAFF]

Listen to TP...This is an excellent opportunity. Nothing beats a free IACO approved Commercial ME and a job flying after you are done.

I've spent 12+ years of my 18 year military career overseas and you are not missing much by not being in the USA.

-LAFF