After not having trained ab initio pilots for a number of years, Thomas Cook Airlines is launching a Mentored Airline Pilot Programme with their long-standing training partner, FTEJerez.
Selected candidates will commence their training at FTE’s aviation campus in August 2018, before transitioning to an Airbus type rating and first officer role with the airline.
Additionally, the Spanish based training organisation has announced they will co-sponsor Thomas Cook Airline’s scholarship for Female Pilots, which, grants an award of €30,000 to be spent on training costs at FTEJerez.
Inspired by Raymonde de Laroche, the scholarship is open to all female applicants of the Thomas Cook Airlines Mentored Cadet Pilot Training Programme.
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- Elise Raymonde Deroche, was a French pilot and the first woman in the world to receive an aeroplane pilot’s licence.
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- Raymonde de Laroche in her Voisin aeroplane in 1909
Talking about the announcement, FTEJerez CEO, Oscar Sordo, said: “We share the airline’s goal of attracting more female pilots to the profession and we are therefore honoured to be associated with the Thomas Cook Airlines initiative by part-sponsoring this Scholarship.
We are very proud of Thomas Cook Airlines’ decision to again entrust FTEJerez with the training of the airline’s next generation of first officers and future commanders. We also view it as fitting recognition by the airline of the high quality training provided by FTEJerez.”
Paul Hutchings, UK Managing Director and Group Airline Director of Operations at Thomas Cook Airlines added: “As we celebrate International Women’s Day, there was no better time to raise awareness of the many opportunities to build a career and encourage more young girls and women into the aviation industry; this Scholarship is further proof of our commitment to highlight that our industry is for men and women.”
