THOMAS COOK AIRLINE PILOT TRAINING SCHEME
Traditional airline-funded cadet schemes have largely disappeared since September 2001 and most airline pilot training is now self-funded by individual students. Nevertheless, we have continued to work with airlines to develop alternative routes to successful airline pilot employment. These efforts led to the introduction of a new style "sponsorship" scheme which OAA launched successfully in 2005 with Thomas Cook Airlines. This scheme continues and offers the following key benefits:
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Enhanced security for sponsors and potential students by providing a conditional airline employment offer even before the start of APP FIRST OFFICER
training.
- A major reduction in overall costs by means of a special salary repayment of training expenses (ROTE) scheme, developed by OAA and implemented by these airlines - which enables them to repay the APP FIRST OFFICER training costs during the student’s first few years of airline service.
- An enhanced funding solution from HSBC bank that lessens the required outlay of personal funds while simultaneously reducing the time required to repay the loan through the airline's special ROTE scheme.
Other examples of this scheme will be adopted by other airlines in the near future. Of course, they will be available only to well selected students. Entry standards are high and competition for places is steep. But, for those who can meet the exacting standards, such schemes represent an important breakthrough in re-establishing airline involvement in ab-initio pilot training.
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Thomas Cook selected students are pictured in one of Oxford’s suite of piston engine simulators. |
