Australian pilot trainees being wooed across Tasman by CTC

21 September 2011

Australian pilot trainees being wooed across the Tasman by CTC

Hamilton, New Zealand - CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Limited, a world-leading airline pilot training provider with a base in Hamilton, is wooing Australian trainees across the Tasman through a nationwide, Australian recruitment drive starting this month.

The company provides pilot graduates to Jetstar Australia, Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Pacific and a large number of European airlines.

CTC Aviation Training CEO, Ian Calvert, says in addition to continuing to recruit New Zealanders, the company is now actively recruiting pilots in Australia for the first time, due to increased airline demand.

“CTC is currently supplying pilots to Jetstar Australia, who require a number of pilots in the next 12 months. Plus, Jetstar Asia in Singapore has asked for 15 pilots in training by 31 March 2012.

“Additionally, CTC is in negotiations with major airlines in Asia, the Middle East and Europe who are all signalling a huge demand for pilots in both the short- and long-term. We currently train around 180 airline pilots in New Zealand each year. However, we estimate one year from now that number will rise to between 250 and 300.

“We are recruiting in Australia so that we can train enough pilots to ensure we continue to have the capacity to meet our airline partners’ demands,” explains Mr Calvert.

Mr Calvert said three key factors were putting pressure on airlines worldwide and resulting in increased demand for CTC graduates: large aircraft orders, increasing passenger numbers in Asia, and the aging pilot population.

“CTC is one of the world’s leading airline pilot training providers and we’re ready to leverage our leadership to capitalise on this emerging growth opportunity,” he says.

Since launching the Jetstar Cadetship in 2009, CTC has trained 30 pilots from Australia and New Zealand for the programme. There are currently an additional 12 pilots in training with CTC on the Jetstar Cadet Programme.

Mr Calvert says the Australian cadets the company has trained, so far, selected CTC over Australian-based pilot training providers.

“The Australians who have sought out the opportunity to train with CTC in New Zealand have done so primarily for two reasons. Firstly, they recognise that CTC’s unwavering commitment to producing the highest quality airline pilots is highly respected by the major airlines around the world with whom we work closely with.

“And, secondly, New Zealand is a familiar, yet exciting, country for Australian trainees to live and work. Many see the opportunity to spend some time here while completing their flight training as an added bonus,” explains Mr Calvert.

CTC Aviation Training (NZ) Ltd will make presentations to interested potential trainees in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney this month.

CTC trains between 1200 -1900 aircrew for more than 50 global airlines each year. In addition to its crew training centre in Hamilton, New Zealand, it has a further three centres in Bournemouth and Southampton in the UK.

Information about the Australian recruiting events can be found at: www.ctcwings.com/nz/events.

ENDS

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