 Last autumn Air Astana launched their programme for airline pilot cadets from Kazakhstan to train as part of The Pilot Training College ab initio airline pilot course. Currently, 17 Air Astana Cadets are training at the Pilot Training College (PTC) training centre in Melbourne, Florida and a total of 25 are expected to begin their training in 2009.
Air Astana chose a recent trip to PTC in Florida to announce a further 25 fully sponsored cadetship places for 2010. Senior managers from Air Astana, together with journalists from Kazakhstan, visited the PTC training centre in Florida between 7th and 12th September 2009. Amongst the attendees where Capt. Tom Hallam, Senior Manager Flight Operations and Capt. Talgat Bakubayev, Manager of Ab Initio and FTO Development.
During a speech to Air Astana Cadets and PTC staff, Capt. Bakubayev commented that: “The Pilot Training College (PTC) was chosen and approved as an exclusive training provider of new Kazakh pilots for Air Astana following a long and rigorous selection process. PTC offer high quality training and instruction – as well as outstanding facilities, modern aircraft and training apparatus. But most importantly, training at PTC instills our cadets with the values of professionalism, focus and attention to detail that will serve them well throughout their career with Air Astana. Air Astana continues to support PTC in the work it does providing the next generation of Kazakh pilots and we are happy to announce an additional 25 cadetships with PTC in 2010. ”
Commenting on the announcement, Capt. Mike Edgeworth said: “We are delighted with this announcement as it shows our total commitment to grow our relationship with a key customer and demonstrates our willingness to meet our customers’ total training needs efficiently with no compromise on quality, high standards or professionalism.”
Air Astana cadet, Shaken Latipbayev, will be graduating in November fulfilling a lifetime ambition to become an airline pilot: “Every cadet here has an instructor who provides individual training. Our instructors are very calm, attentive and are always ready to help. We learn how to fly solo; principles of team work; aviation psychology; and critical decision making skills’.
About The Pilot Training College
The Pilot Training College (PTC) has been training pilots since Ireland's accession to JAR in 2000. PTC is a quality training college focused on providing the optimum in training and facilities for students. As well as the Sponsored Cadetship with Air Astana, the college operates a mentored cadetship programme with Europe’s largest regional airline, Flybe, and has placed pilots in many of the major European Airlines including Ryanair, Aer Lingus and British Airways. PTC operates from bases in Ireland and the USA.
The PTC training centre in Melbourne, Florida USA is co-located with the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) School of Aviation close to Cape Canaveral on the Space Coast. Operating from a brand new, purpose built facility, students have on ramp access to modern aircraft featuring the latest technology and avionics. Student accommodation is on the Florida Tech training centre giving student pilots access to the best that the US college experience has to offer including sports facilities, restaurants, library and other opportunities for personal development. The PTC training centre in Ireland is based in Waterford Airport. The training facility is housed in a brand new building opened in February 2009 and includes a Mechtronix FNPTII simulator, canteen, pilot briefing room, student WIFI and state of the art classrooms. All aircraft are modern and are maintained to the highest standards at our fully certified on-field maintenance facility. Waterford is an ideal location for instrument training with freely available airspace and no slot delays or extreme weather.
Our training centre in Dublin, which specialises in the training of private pilots, is based at Weston Aerodrome near Dublin.
About Air Astana
Air Astana is the national airline of Kazakhstan and is co-owned by the Kazakhstan State and BAE Systems. The airline operates a fleet of 21 western aircraft with an average age of 5 years and has over 50 domestic and international routes. The 2.3 million passengers who fly with Air Astana every year are served by a staff of over 2,000 highly-trained men and women. The Air Astana fleet is on track to grow to 34 in 2014 and 63 by 2022. By 2012, Air Astana needs to recruit 300 pilots, and further, the number of pilots will continue to grow in geometric progression. In order to crew the growing fleet, Air Astana decided to join with PTC to train its own pilots in the framework of an ab-initio program.
The airline’s mission is to provide quality domestic and international air services to the highest standards of safety and service using modern generation aircraft in order to serve and compliment the needs of Kazakhstan, one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Air Astana is the only airline in Kazakhstan to maintain its fleet to audited EU EASA 145 standards. In 2008 Air Astana was admitted to the register of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), one of a small number of airlines in the Commonwealth of Independent States to have achieved this.
|