“The intention is to supply college students with an extra selection,” he mentioned. “Maybe after a number of years as a pilot, some people could want to discover different instructions.”
“By endeavor enterprise administration programs [in their initial years], they will leverage their work expertise and search new instructions for private progress and improvement.”
The joint programme will probably be supplied within the subsequent tutorial yr. College students can have the choice to pursue cadet pilot coaching of their third yr’s summer time semester.
The primary batch of scholars for the joint programme are anticipated to start pilot coaching in Could 2025.
The four-year course expenses an annual tuition price of HK$95,000, whereas college students on an income-based authorities subsidy can pay HK$59,740 per yr.
College students choosing cadet pilot programs of their third yr should pay an extra tuition price of HK$740,000, which is HK$60,000 lower than the academy’s personal programme that launched final November.
The academy’s programme spans 14 months and contains six months of examine within the metropolis, adopted by one other eight months of flight follow in the US. College students should bear a minimal of 142 hours of flight coaching.
The course additionally gives preliminary interviews for trainees with the academy’s 4 partnered airways – Hong Kong Airways, HK Categorical, Better Bay Airways and Hong Kong Air Cargo – to assist college students safe conditional job gives.
Cadets should additionally take a two-week multi-crew cooperation course earlier than they will earn a Hong Kong Business Pilot Licence with Instrument Ranking (Airplane).
The course acquired greater than 100 functions because the choice course of began final September and accepted 31 cadets in two lessons. The following class of 20 is anticipated to start out in Could. The academy goals to coach 100 native cadets annually.
Is it time for Hong Kong authorities to take a stake in Cathay Pacific?
Is it time for Hong Kong authorities to take a stake in Cathay Pacific?
In the UK, the L3 Harris Academy’s course to safe a UK and European Union industrial pilot license prices £106,560 (HK$1.05 million).
In the meantime, pilots becoming a member of programmes supplied by airways similar to Cathay Pacific Airways or British Airways repay the price of coaching by deductions to their wage.
Academy president Simon Li Tin-chu mentioned on Thursday that tuition charges posed a problem for aspiring pilots, however help from two banks and a finance firm meant candidates might take out loans with beneficial rates of interest.
“Relying on the scholars’ creditworthiness, the mortgage schemes could present a mortgage of 70 per cent to the total tuition charges, guaranteeing that college students from totally different backgrounds have the chance to pursue this course,” he mentioned.
Li mentioned the joint programme with the college sought to domesticate extra native expertise and welcome candidates from mainland China and abroad.
Hong Kong’s first college of utilized sciences plans to coach native pilots
Hong Kong’s first college of utilized sciences plans to coach native pilots
The academy had adequate sources to totally accommodate college students from the joint programme and its personal one if the yearly consumption for each remained at 100 every, he added.
Producer Boeing final yr estimated that 649,000 new pilots could be wanted by 2042 to help the worldwide industrial fleet, whereas 10,000 further pilots are wanted annually in China and Southeast Asia.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung mentioned on Thursday that the collaboration would assist solidify Hong Kong’s place as a world aviation hub, whereas enhancing its affect as a regional coaching centre.
“We will appeal to expertise from mainland China, Hong Kong and abroad, opening a brand new chapter in aviation coaching in Hong Kong and enriching the native choices in aviation skilled coaching,” he mentioned.
“I consider this isn’t solely excellent news for aspiring younger pilots within the Better Bay Space and overseas, but in addition a big milestone welcomed by the federal government and trade.”
