AeroGuard Flight Training Center Graduates Inaugural Air New Zealand Cadets Within Mangōpare Pilot Cadetship

USA & New Zealand AeroGuard Flight Training Center, an Air New Zealand’s flight training provider, has just graduated its first cadets for the airline’s Mangōpare Air New Zealand Pilot Cadetship. As a leading provider of career-focused ab initio flight training across the globe, AeroGuard is proud to partner with Ansett Aviation Training to prepare high-quality pilots for New Zealand’s flag carrier.

AeroGuard has partnered with Air New Zealand since 2024, welcoming five cohorts of cadets to the school’s Phoenix, Arizona, USA campus to date. Cadets within the world leading Mangōpare Cadetship complete their initial flight training at AeroGuard, which includes licenses through Commercial Multi Engine with Instrument Rating. Upon completing this phase, cadets move on to Dubai to complete their Type Rating and Multi Crew Cooperation (MCC) with Ansett Aviation Training before starting their careers with Air New Zealand.

These first graduates have completed their training in under 12 months and are now preparing to continue their advanced training with Ansett, bringing them one step closer to their professional careers with Air New Zealand. AeroGuard designed this program in partnership with Ansett Aviation to provide a beginning-to-end pilot training solution for the airline, ensuring they are met with knowledgeable, high-quality, and experienced pilots fully prepared for commercial airline pilot careers.

Joel Davidson, AeroGuard CEO, shared “We are thrilled to highlight Air New Zealand’s first cadets successfully graduating from initial pilot training with AeroGuard. This program was built to provide airline-ready professionals and we are proud of these cadets’ hard work and dedication to become just that. This partnership ensures a consistent pipeline of well-trained pilots who will uphold safety, professionalism, and excellence for Air New Zealand.”

Other pilot cadets from Air New Zealand at AeroGuard are continuing to progress through their career-focused training and are expected to follow these first graduates. These cadets train alongside other industry leading airline cadets from Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, and Air India.

Located in the global destination for flight training, AeroGuard’s Phoenix, Arizona, USA campus provides students with an ideal training environment built to fully prepare them for commercial airline pilot careers. This environment consists of 350+ VFR flying days a year, varying airspace complexity, diverse terrain, and is enriched by AeroGuard’s 120+ aircraft fleet and population of over 250 flight instructors.

As a leading flight training provider, AeroGuard continues to build the next generation of professional pilots within a career-focused, safety first, structured environment to establish successful pilot careers.

About AeroGuard Flight Training Center
AeroGuard Flight Training Center is a global leader in ab initio flight training with three U.S. campuses. AeroGuard offers professionally focused commercial pilot training programs to students and airlines all over the world. With a commitment to safety and student success, AeroGuard’s high quality training has established airline-ready cadets for over 25 years with more than one million flight hours of training experience and graduating over 8,000 cadets.

Source: AeroGuard Flight Training Center
Photo Credit: Air New Zealand

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US Airline-Owned Flight School Launches Search for New Chief Flight Instructor in 2025

USA –Leadership In Flight Training (LIFT) Academy, the U.S.-based abinitio flight training group of Republic Airways, has announced an opening for a Chief Flight Instructor (CFI) responsible for leading instructor teams and maintaining training standards across all four LIFT Academy locations.

  • The CFI position is based in Indianapolis and includes oversight of training delivery, instructor performance, and compliance with FAA regulatory requirements.

  • Responsibilities include ensuring standardisation, safety, and efficiency in all training operations, while upholding LIFT Academy’s culture of excellence.

  • LIFT Academy operates a modern fleet of Diamond DA40/DA42 aircraft and advanced flight simulators, offering students a direct career pathway to Republic Airways.

To learn more about the role and to apply navigate here.

Source: LIFT Academy

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Emirates to Host Pilot Recruitment Roadshow in Spain and Portugal in October 2025

United Arab Emirates – Emirates has announced the next stops of its global pilot recruitment roadshow, with events scheduled in Spain and Portugal this October as the airline continues to expand its pilot pipeline.

  • Roadshow locations and dates:

    • Alicante, Spain – AC Hotel Alicante: Oct 14 (10:00 & 13:00), Oct 15 (10:00)

    • Porto, Portugal – Crowne Plaza Porto: Oct 16 (10:00 & 13:00), Oct 17 (10:00)

    • Barcelona, Spain – Le Méridien Barcelona: Oct 19 (10:00 & 13:00), Oct 20 (10:00)

  • The events provide pilots with an inside look at Emirates’ operations and recruitment process, covering pathways including Direct Entry Captain, Airbus Accelerated Command, and First Officer roles.

  • Attendees will gain insights into flying the airline’s Airbus A380, A350 and Boeing 777 fleets, alongside information about the benefits of living and working in Dubai.

  • The sessions will allow candidates and their families to connect directly with Emirates’ Pilot Recruitment Team, who will answer questions on training, lifestyle, and career progression.

Source: Emirates
Photo Credit: Emirates

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