PAL resumes aviation school

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has partnered with Australian-based Airways Aviation Academy (AAA) to resume operations at its aviation school after a four-year hiatus amid growing demand for skilled pilots.

PAL officials said the reopening marks “a new era of excellence,” following the training of 1,200 pilots over six decades before the school’s closure.

“We want to be assured of a steady pipeline of pilots who will meet our needs in line with our expansion plans for the future,” PAL president Stanley Ng said at a press briefing on Thursday.

AAA, which has trained over 12,000 pilots worldwide, will initially accept 20 cadets, who are expected to begin their flight training in Australia between late July and September.

Airways Aviation CEO Romy Hawatt described the partnership as “a major step for the next generation of pilots” and highlighted the chance to “blend international best practices with local strengths.”

“We’ve learned a lot from different parts of the world…and hope to bring this same level of excellence to the Philippines,” he added.

PAL suspended its aviation school in June 2020 due to the pandemic, but the program is now being revived to support the airline’s fleet and route expansion.

According to PAL SVP of the Operations Group Roland Narciso, discussions with Airways Aviation began in 2019. However, the pandemic led to the school’s closure, canceling two training classes and resulting in the sale of assets. Despite this, PAL kept the school’s name, anticipating its future revival.

Pilot demand high

“With the demand right now in the aviation industry for pilots, the conversation between PAL and Airways Aviation continued a year or two ago,” Narciso said.

Narciso also noted that PAL is “studying” potential further investments in the training program.

The renewed training program will involve a rigorous selection process, adhering to PAL’s strict pilot criteria. While employment with PAL is not guaranteed, successful candidates will be trained in Australia and may be considered for future roles with the airline.

Historically, PAL’s aviation school screened around 500 applicants per batch, selecting just 25 of the most qualified candidates.