Oman Air’s drive to recruit Omani pilots is bearing fruit, as 21 Omanis join the Cadet Training Programme of the national carrier of the sultanate of Oman.

The programme involves initial flight training at ENAC Toulouse, France, for 18 months. Upon successful completion of their initial flight training, the candidates will go on to undertake a type rating course, which will qualify them to become members of Oman Air’s flight crew.

The recruitment drive was launched earlier this year with the aim of expanding opportunities for Omani nationals to become pilots with the airline. Applications were accepted from Omanis with good educational results, aged between 17 and 26 years old. The study costs of those candidates are being covered in their entirety by Oman Air.

Paul Gregorowitsch, chief executive officer of Oman Air, commented: “We are delighted to welcome these 21 young Omanis to Oman Air. Following successful completion of their training, each new pilot will become an invaluable part of the airline.

“As the national carrier of the sultanate of Oman, it is vital that we offer employment and career progression opportunities for as many young Omanis as possible. Furthermore, it is important that we demonstrate the capacity, capability and commitment of the Omani people throughout our international network. These new pilots therefore represent an investment not just in the future of Oman Air, but also in the future of our nation.”

Captain Ali Hassan Sulaiman, chief officer flight operations at Oman Air, added: “As Oman Air continues its ambitious fleet and network expansion programme, and as we introduce new aircraft such as the B787 Dreamliner, the airline requires an increased number of pilots. This offers us an opportunity to provide the relevant training to ensure that the number of Omani pilots that we employ continues to grow. Our resulting recruitment drive has been a huge success. The degree of enthusiasm with which it was greeted throughout Oman was both surprising and satisfying, showing that Oman Air enjoys a remarkable degree of support amongst Omani citizens.”

Dr Rashid bin Mohammed Al Ghailani, Chief Officer Human Resources at Oman Air, concluded: “As one of Oman’s largest employers, we take pride in employing Omani nationals at every level of Oman Air. We are committed to the sultanate’s policy of Omanisation, and our objective is to reach 62 per cent Omanisation across Oman Air by the end of 2015. Within flight operations, our aim is that 48 per cent of our pilots should be Omani by the end of this year. By 2020, we aim to reach 70 per cent Omanisation. This latest group of Omani trainee pilots therefore represents an important step for Oman Air. In many ways they represent the future of our company. We are very pleased that they have chosen to join us on our journey to become the best.” – TradeArabia News Service