International cargo airline Atlas Air announced today that it has partnered with Spartan Education Group to create the Atlas Cadet Academy at a dedicated facility in West Chicago, Illinois.
The training program is designed to train pilots focusing on the Boeing 747, 767 and 777 fleet, which are currently the models operated by Atlas, and is complemented by articles on air cargo transport. The training curriculum also focuses on personalized instruction dedicated to Atlas' corporate culture. Additional information can be accessed here.
The company believes it is the only program designed to specialize in cargo operations.
The initiative to train new pilots is based on the difficulty of finding new professionals to work for the company. Atlas Air even frequently opens selection processes for expatriate pilots.
In fact, we can see that airlines are increasingly creating pilot academies due to the same difficulty, around the world, like Atlas Air. “[…] The reasons for the increasingly smaller talent pool include fewer pilots[… ], more missions being flown by drones, the expense of earning a pilot's license, and a lifestyle that doesn't appeal to many young people…” said Kit Darby, an aviation consultant who specializes in pilot development.
In addition to the cost for a commercial pilot's license, those dedicated to flying international cargo may be away from home for a week or two.
“Whenever you’re working with young people, it’s a really tough sell. They don’t know what they want to do, even though these jobs are excellent, almost like no other these days,” Darby said.
In February 2022, United Airlines opened a pilot academy at Phoenix Goodyear Airport, with the goal of training 5.000 pilots by 2030, including more minority candidates. It is the only flight academy operated by a major U.S. airline. Most airline academies are d with independent flight schools. Spartan College also provides an academy program for American Airlines that is structured differently than Atlas Air.
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