A flying start

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VISUAL EFFECT: Trainees sit in Emirates’ air traffic simulator.

In fact DAEFA itself may well come under fire for its enviable reputation of being able to turn around a pilot in just over a year. “What this means is that a cadet can come to DAE Flight Academy with little or no flight experience and in just 12-14 months, have all the credentials, certifications, and training required to fly for an airline,” explains Flaherty.

The key to its success, he asserts, lies in its innovative and intensive ways of learning. “Airlines in the region need to continue to use modern technology and training techniques to follow a path of cadet development,” he says. “It has been shown to work across the world over the years and is a critical consideration for key players in the region, if the Middle East wants to become a powerhouse in aviation.”

DAEFA’s own training programme focuses on advanced aircraft, state-of-the-art simulators and hi-tech classrooms, and is the only flight academy in the world to use jet-aircraft as part of its Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) programme.

It also offers the ATPL in a 12-14 month integrated ab-initio programme. “We can produce a cadet with a standardised set of skills which are usually at a far higher level than individuals who conduct their training in a more sporadic and unstructured manner,” Flaherty emphasises. “Airlines are looking for pilots with advanced, airline style training. They want pilots who have been exposed to complex aircraft and have an understanding of what’s required of an airline pilot.”

With the recession hitting most if not all industries, will the future growth of the aviation industry continue to create such high demand for skilled personnel?

“The economic downturn has come at a time when DAEFA has been finalising the building phases of our business. This has been fortuitous as we built the academy to cope with a high number of cadets and believe we have the luxury of being prepared to weather the industry’s woes,” Flaherty says optimistically.

“But of course our business will be effected if we encounter a shrinking pool of eligible candidates or a significant decrease in demand for new pilots,” he further admits.

Whilst it is possible that aviation training institutes like DAEFA may experience a decrease in students, it is clear that the demand for pilots and other aviation professionals will continue.

According to consultants AT Kearney, the number of pilots required in the UAE and other GCC countries is still set to increase by a staggering 75% by 2020.

Although the pace of growth in terms of passenger traffic is expected to slow considerably, a predicted increase in average annual growth of 7-8% is expected between 2007 and 2015.

“Looking ahead, it is clear that the demand for pilots will exceed the supply by a very significant margin,” highlights McKnight. “One can argue that the current economic slowdown will provide temporary relief, but the issue is still serious. It takes years from when a pilot starts his education and training until he is fit for flying commercial flights.”

As McKnight points out, the region continues to rely heavily upon the recruitment of expatriate pilots to supply the airlines. However, this could all change as better opportunities for pilots become available closer to home.

“As the global pressures continue to mount, large established airlines in Europe, Asia and North America will be forced to become more aggressive in pursuing the global supply market,” he says.

For the region’s aviation industry, local recruitment has never been more important. “For many years the Middle East airlines have depended on expatriate pilots that are trained overseas,” agrees Flaherty.

“However from a cost perspective it makes little financial sense moving forward to have to continue to pay for relocation, high wages and other necessities for pilots that can now be trained locally.”

With the aviation industry still playing ‘catch-up’ in terms of manpower, the economic slow-down could afford the industry with the opportunity to start evening the score between demand and supply.

For the Middle East in particular, this could bode very well for the future in order to cut back on its reliance on expatriate personnel towards locally trained aviation professionals.

The future for aviation trainers does appear to be looking very healthy in spite of the unpredictable economic climate. With the high standard of training facilities now available in the region, the institutes are looking to continue in full force in the future.

“We are confident the college can weather challenges of the current economic environment with strong management and effective use of our resources,” concludes Emirates’ Al Budoor.

“The appeal and diversity of our courses at all levels and our reputation as a leading provider of learning excellence has ensured our student volumes have increased over the years and continue to do so, in spite of the current turbulent economic environment.”

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