Market Intelligence: -Flight School

Norwegian has partnered with four key schools to train pilots to ensure future expertise and manpower in a critical industry. The agreement is a win-win for both Norwegian and the students who are offered jobs after graduation.

“It’s a good way for us to attract pilots, and the cooperation agreements allow us to get to know the students during their education. The students who are given the opportunity to be employed with us can start working directly after completing the course. At the same time, they will receive courses in type rating for the aircraft type we operate in Norwegian, as well as other necessary theory and further education courses,” says Guro Poulsen, Executive Vice President of People at Norwegian.

The cooperation agreements are important to conclude now, as it is expected that the global aviation industry will have an increasing need for pilots in the coming years. This is partly due to the fact that many current pilots are approaching retirement age, an increased demand for air travel, and that the costs of pilot training, which you still have to pay yourself, are increasing and become a financial barrier for many who want a career as a pilot.

Norwegian has entered into agreements with the flight schools:

• Center Air Pilot Academy (CAPA) in Denmark
• Lund University Trafikflyghögskolan (TFHS) in Sweden
• OSM Aviation Academy in Norway
• FTEJerez in Spain

All four are highly recognized pilot schools with a strong connection to the industry, modern aircraft fleets and experienced instructors that make the schools attractive to future pilots.

Anna Kjær Thorsøe, representative from the Center Air Pilot Academy (CAPA), says:

“We are very pleased with the collaboration with Norwegian. Center Air Pilot Academy has delivered pilots to Norwegian for many years, so we already know each other well. This strengthens our educational program and ensures that our students have a motivating and targeted educational journey. When an airline like Norwegian engages in pilot training, it both raises the standard in the industry and gives students a clear career path. For us as a pilot school, it is fantastic to be part of this process, where together we contribute to ensuring the expertise of the future in aviation.”

Pilot schools ensure qualified labour for aviation

The pilot training takes about 20 months. The students that Norwegian gets to know along the way, and who are deemed to be a good fit for the company, will be offered a job immediately after graduation.

“Aviation is critical infrastructure and is of great importance to society. It is important to ensure that the aviation industry has a stable supply of skilled employees in order to maintain excellence in the future. The aviation industry employs tens of thousands of people in the Nordic region – Norwegian alone employs almost 1,300 pilots, of which more than 200 of them are based in Denmark,” says Guro Poulsen.

Norwegian has around 800 employees in Denmark, making it both a large Danish workplace and the second largest airline in the country. The Norwegian Group, which consists of Norwegian and Widerøes Flyveselskap, has a total of 8,500 employees.

Source: Norwegian