Emirates honours UAE's high fliers in cadet pilot graduation

The programme is part of the recruitment drive for professionals to pilot Emirates' fleet that continues to increase to meet the requirements of the airline's ever-expanding route network.

In a graduation ceremony at the Emirates Aviation College in Dubai, six cadets were presented with the Airline Transport Pilot's License (ATPL) and 11 cadets were presented with the Foundation Certificate.

Abdulaziz Al Ali, Emirates' Executive Vice President Human Resources, said:

"Emirates is aggressively expanding its route network - 10 new cities since January this year - and we are taking delivery of one new aircraft on average every month to service this expansion.

"I am pleased it is being supported by a very successful training and recruitment strategy such as the cadet pilot programme which is attracting the brightest among the UAE's young people. I congratulate them for their success in their rigorous training courses and their dedication to helping in Emirates' development."

Following the ATPL course, the six cadets will train for the next six months on flight simulators in Dubai before spending approximately a year flying on Emirates' routes under the supervision of a Training Captain.

The 11 successful Foundation Course cadets will be sent shortly to Flight Training Adelaide at Parafield Airport, near Adelaide, Australia, for 52 weeks to gain a Commercial Pilot's License with a Multi-Engine Instrument Rating (CPL/Multi IR). If successful, they will undergo a 13-week course in Dubai to obtain the ATPL.

Currently, 27 UAE nationals are in training in Adelaide and another 24 are undergoing the Foundation Course in Dubai.