In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8, TUI is encouraging women to join the aviation industry as it launches its Multi-Crew Pilot Licence Cadet programme in the UK.
According to Director of TUI Airways, Mark Sutherland, the programme is one of a kind and aims to remove the barriers to training to become a pilot.
The 18-month programme offers 30 places annually to train pilots without any upfront costs. Training commences with ground school, followed by basic flying training and then the advanced flying training phases. After this, trainees gain a broader understanding of the business before commencing operational line training on the B737.
According to Market Screener, those who complete the programme will be offered a job as a pilot flying Boeing 737 aircraft at TUI, with their training costs repaid through deductions from their salary over four years. Currently, the annual salary is expected to be about £32 900 (R724 440).
Amy Bannister, who has been a pilot with TUI for over eight years, has now taken on a leadership role with the airline as a theoretical knowledge instructor, training both pilots and cabin crew.
Bannister encourages women considering a career in aviation to join the programme and embrace the opportunity to build a diverse and exciting career.
“Although only 5% of pilots may be women now, the tide seems to be changing and it’s not unusual to have an all-female crew. More and more women are joining the industry, as it’s such a fantastic job to have – industrywide we are treated as equals, and I am proud to work for a company that focuses on my role not my gender,” said Bannister.
