The contract, signed on the sidelines of the Bahrain International Airshow 2012 on Friday, will see PTC train up to one hundred and twenty new commercial pilots for GAA, who signed an agreement with Tamkeen earlier in October 2011 to train 120 Bahrainis to obtain their Ab Initio Pilot Programme, with the first 12 ab-initio cadets set to receive their training next month.
The signing ceremony, held during a press conference at the Bahrain International Airshow inSakhir Airbase, was attended by Amal Al Kooheji, Head of Human Capital Development, Tamkeen, Tim Shattock, Chief Executive Officer GAA and Capt. Mike Edgeworth, Chairman and CEO of Pilot Training College.
“GAA are very pleased to partner with PTC on this key Ab-Initio Pilot Training Programme. Ensuring that we continue to train professional airline pilots for the future is a strategic priority for the airline industry in the MENA region in particular, which is GAA’s core market,” Tim Shattock, CEO of Gulf Aviation Academy, said.
“Following a very stringent assessment process; we selected Pilot Training College to be our new training partner. We were most impressed by PTC because of their professionalism and attention to detail which was apparent in their training proposal. We took great comfort in the fact that the college is already working with a number of airlines in the MENA region,” Shattock added.
“As various recent reports have forecasted that 1,800+ new pilots will be required annually in the Middle East region alone over the next 20 years, providing the Ab-Initio Pilot Training for Bahraini nationals is a key strategic issue for GAA and our partner Tamkeen who provides the financial support for the training,” Shattock, added
“The aviation industry is fast-growing around the world, and Bahrain has put solid plans in place to establish itself as an aviation hub in the upcoming future. As Bahrain strives to achieve this goal, it is important that aviation professionals with the necessary skills and expertise are trained to accommodate the rising demand for pilots in this field. At the same time, we are also empowering Bahraini individuals by providing them with the financial support and required training to help achieve their own personal ambitions and progress their careers. Tamkeen is committed to meeting the needs of the Bahrain labour market, and with the support of GAA in helping run this programme I am confident that we will be able to move one step closer towards reaching this goal,” Mahmood Al Kooheji, Chief Executive of Tamkeen, added.
“Airlines have got to be very careful in how and by whom they have their pilots trained and at Pilot Training College; we set the highest of training standards for others to follow. By being the best is how we continue to win business and expand globally. For GAA, we will be selecting their future pilots locally in the Middle East and then assessing each person to ensure they meet the required standards. PTC’s aim is that only the highest quality candidates are chosen to progress to the training phase. We will then deliver back to GAA ‘Airline Ready Graduates’ who possess both the skills and the requisite character – an extremely important, and sometimes overlooked, ingredient in being a pilot,” Capt. Mike Edgeworth, Chairman and CEO of Pilot Training College, said.
Pilot Training College is continuously re-investing in its training facilities with a modern fleet of 49 aircraft and the latest in aviation technology and advanced simulators such as the recently installed Boeing 737-800 New Generation Simulator at the Cambridge Training Centre in the United Kingdom. Other notable airline partners of Pilot Training College include Flybe, Europe’s largest regional carrier and the national flag carriers of Kazakhstan, Air Astana.
The Ab-Initio Pilot Training Programme aims to provide aviation training to JAA/EASA international standards to 120 Pilots and will be financially supported by Tamkeen with a total amount of nearly BD4 million. The programme provides a great opportunity for High School and University graduates who are looking to have a career in the aviation industry. Dates for application submission will be announced to the public in the coming weeks. All applicants for this programme must be a minimum of 18 years old, and hold a secondary school certificate. Applicants will be required to go through screening and selection assessments that will be held under the supervision of GAA in Bahrain.