Oman Air's new group of pilots

These Omani Trainees now possess an approved Commercial Pilot License, Multi Engine and Instrument Rating category as their initial qualification.

Oman Air's CEO, Peter Hill congratulated the pilot trainees and said that this was a very proud moment for everyone in Oman Air. The 14 Omani pilots are an inspiration to us all and we wish them well as they now enter the next phase of their careers with Oman Air.

"We have and will continue to invest substantially in staff development at all levels, to enable our National employees to progress within in our organisation. We have currently 131 Omani pilots in the positions of captains, first officers and second officers," Hill added.

The trainees will commence a Type Rating Training on the B737 at Oman Air Flight Operations Training Center next month. The training programme will include, at Ground School, B737 Aircraft Systems, Safety and Emergency Procedures (SEP), Crew Resource Management (CRM), Dangerous Goods Handling, First Aid (Aeromedical) and other related courses.

Upon successful completion of the above, the trainees will progress to an intensive training sessions on the B737 Flight Simulator, where they will be expected to demonstrate their abilities in handling the B737 in both normal and emergency conditions.

Successful trainees will then hold a Second Officer position allowing them to gain first hand flying experience "on the line" as Operating Flight Crew. Here, they will fly under the guidance of a Line Training Captain until they are ready to be promoted to the position of First Officer.

Opportunities for career progression are extensive for these young Omani pilot trainees. Line Captain positions are attainable for those with required flying hours and experience. Some may wish to progress further to become instructors/examiners or even aspire to a managerial position within Flight Operations.

The individual efforts and strong motivation of these candidates combined with the continuing guidance and support of Oman Air had made it possible for these fourteen trainees to fulfill their dreams of becoming pilots with a rapidly expanding airline.