Sep 25, 2023

British Airways opens pilot academy at Gloucestershire Airport Skyborne Airline Academy is a modern airline training academy based at Vero Beach, Florida, United States, and Gloucestershire Airport in the UK 08:04, 25 SEP 2023 British Airways selects Skyborne for its Speedbird Pilot Academy (Image: British Airways) Sign up to FREE email alerts from BusinessLive - National - our round-up of the headlines that matter every morning More Newsletters Subscribe Invalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later. More Newsletters We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info Thank you for subscribing! Group 28 Sign up to FREE email alerts from BusinessLive - National - our round-up of the headlines that matter every morning Invalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later. Sign Up × British Airways has announced Skyborne as its official UK partner for its Speedbird Pilot Academy. The UK airline will open its academy with Skyborne Airline Academy, a modern airline training school, with bases in Vero Beach, Florida and Gloucestershire Airport in the UK. Applications are now open for the multi-million-pound training initiative which offers a fully funded path to the flight deck with British Airways, offering talented candidates the opportunity to begin a career with the airline, regardless of their background. Following a joint selection process, students will embark upon Skyborne’s UK CAA Integrated ATPL programme with £99,500 of tuition costs covered in full. Lee Woodward, chief executive, at Skyborne, said: “As we cement our relationship with British Airways, Skyborne leads as the most trusted airline academy in the industry. Marking our first UK partnership with the UK’s largest international airline is testament to the solid track record of our team and the core values we jointly hold. “From the very start, Skyborne has been committed to removing the barriers to entry to pilot training and widening the talent pool. As a graduate of a British Airways sponsored programme, I know first- hand the life-changing impact such initiatives have and I applaud BA for its industry-leading Speedbird Pilot Academy.” Captain Ian Pringle, head of flight training, British Airways, added: “By removing initial training costs, we’re making a flying career truly accessible so we can recruit the best and the brightest candidates. We trust in Skyborne to offer our trainees world-class facilities, innovative teaching methods and a wealth of airline experience, building a crucial foundation for their future.” The majority of places for the 2023 Speedbird Pilot Academy intake will be available via Skyborne, with British Airways committed to increasing take-up from under-represented groups in aviation including people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and women. Carla Booth, group head of airline business, Skyborne, commented: “This initiative marks the first British Airways sponsored programme since the mid-1990s, giving hope to diverse communities that have long found the cost of pilot training prohibitive. Together we hope to play a pivotal role in driving change, securing the pilot pipeline and showing young people from all walks of life how exciting an airline career can be.” Why not sign up to get the latest South West business news straight to your inbox. Story Saved You can find this story in   My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow BusinessLive