Jet2.com opens funded pilot training scheme for second year

Jet2.com has reopened a scheme to give at least 60 aspiring pilots the option to work for the airline without having to self-fund the £100,000-plus cost of flight training. 

 

The fully-funded multi-million pound Jet2FlightPath initiative was first instigated last May.

 

As a result, 60 candidates from all backgrounds are working their way through an 18-month Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) training course on their way to becoming a pilot.  

 

More: Aviation minister tours Jet2.com training centre

 

A total of 18,000 applications were received for 60 places in the first year. 

 

Those on the programme include school leavers, university graduates, ex-schoolteachers and former police workers.

 

The programme aims to continue boosting social mobility and promoting diversity within the pilot community.

 

More than 20% of successful candidates from the first year are women.

 

Candidates need at least five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including maths and a science subject, or equivalent qualifications, to apply.

 

Jet2FlightPath continues to be more accessible than other programmes, according to the airline.

 

After a selection process which includes assessments and interviews, successful candidates will be invited to take their place on a fully funded 18-month pilot training course in the UK, Spain or US, with courses starting this year.

 

Trainees will then be offered type rating training on either an Airbus or Boeing aircraft before becoming a Jet2.com pilot. 

 

Jet2.com continues to work alongside three partners to deliver this training, Skyborne Airline Academy, Leading Edge and FTE Jerez.

 

When the latest cohort of successful candidates begin the programme, Jet2.com will have at least 120 pilots going through Jet2FlightPath, with plans to continue attracting even more aspiring pilots in the coming years as the company continues to grow.

 

The UK’s third largest airline currently employs more than 2,000 pilots and will operate a fleet of 138 aircraft this summer from 14 UK airports, including a nerwe network from Gatwick starting next month.

 

Trainee Ellie Wagg, who previously worked for the NHS in Northamptonshire, said: “Becoming a commercial airline pilot feels like a dream I never let myself have.

 

“As a child, I was fascinated by aviation, but it wasn’t until later in life that I found the confidence to chase what once felt out of reach. 

 

“Jet2FlightPath has made this career accessible to me, as the financial requirements of training were always the biggest barrier, so this funded pathway has removed that worry completely.”

 

Company chief executive Steve Heapy said: “We are delighted to reopen applications for Jet2FlightPath after a phenomenal response to the first year of the programme.

 

“Our fully-funded pilot training programme helps overcome the cost of training and is already making the dream of flying a reality for many who thought it was beyond their means.

 

“We are very proud of the success that the programme is already having in terms of opening up flying for everyone, and we look forward to receiving applications for this year.”

 

Aviation, maritime and decarbonisation minister Keir Mather said: “Alongside our Reach for the Sky and Aviation Ambassador programmes which inspire young people into careers in aviation, Jet2’s FlightPath programme is a vital building block to help aspiring pilots take their first steps skywards.

 

“Initiatives like this unlock exciting, flexible routes into aviation, backing an expanding sector whilst offering young people valuable opportunities to pursue long-term and skilled careers.”