At the Farnborough Air Show, British Airways will unveil today a new £21m fully funded investment to put a total of 200 pilots through training.
This gives applicants the opportunity to not have to worry of the cost of training, which typically costs £100,000.
Without further ado, let’s get into it…
British Airways To Fully Fund 200 Pilots’ Training…
This announcement at the Farnborough Air Show represents an expansion in the existing program seen under the Speedbird Pilot Academy.
At the moment, British Airways is currently funding 100 people’s flight training, which is at £100,000 a pop.
However, this announcement will see an expansion from 100 fully-funded pilots to 200.
It takes around two years to complete training and to become a first officer at the coveted airline.
The Speedbird Pilot Academy aims to attract the very best talent for the future generation of pilots while boosting social mobility and diversity within the airline’s pilot community.
The airline works with community groups to help encourage applicants from people who may have previously been put off from applying due to cost.
Doyle: Give As Many People As Possible The Chance to Realise Their Dream…
Commenting on this investment expansion of fully-funding 200 pilots instead of 100 was British Airways CEO Sean Doyle:
“I’m incredibly proud of the Speedbird Pilot Academy and the opportunity it provides to those talented individuals who have held a lifetime ambition of becoming a commercial airline pilot, but have perhaps found it difficult to independently fund their training.”
“The standard of applicants we see for this programme are consistently high so as part of our commitment to attracting the very best candidates from right across society, we’ve increased the 2025 cohort to give as many people as possible the chance of realising their dream.”
Ryan Street, a Speedbird Pilot Academy cadet had this to say on his experiences in the program:
“Applying for the Speedbird Pilot Academy and being selected for such a highly-competitive opportunity was a dream come true, knowing that I would finally be able to achieve the career I had always wanted.”
“Without the assistance British Airways provided with this cadetship, I might not have ever been able to afford the current training costs, so I am thankful to them that they are able to provide this wonderful opportunity for those that might never have been able to get this far.”
Overall…
In conclusion, the news today from British Airways at the Farnborough Air Show will provide excitement for those that want to become a pilot, but may not be able to afford it.
Furthermore, it remains clear that this is a concept that the airline believes in, with this expected to grow further in the years to come.
With the airline employing 4,000 pilots already, there is growth on the horizon for the airline, and will need the pilots quick to deal with such positive changes.
For now, all eyes will be on what other announcements they may make at this airshow.
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