British Airways will open the application window for the second year of their fully-funded Speedbird Pilot Academy cadet program on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Last year, the program received 20,000 applications for just 100 places.
On Tuesday (April 9, 2024), British Airways announced that they will open the application window for the second year of their fully-funded Speedbird Pilot Academy cadet program on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. The program’s first year intake saw 20,000 applications for just 100 places. The Speedbird Pilot Academy initiative is part of the carrier’s £7 billion investment across the business, and is aimed at levelling the playing field and making a career as a commercial airline pilot a realistic option for all. This is possible by removing the previously prohibitive cost barrier, where individuals had to pay for their own training.
In Tuesday’s announcement, British Airways’ Director of Flight Operations, Simon Cheadle, said,
“We’re incredibly proud to be able to open the door to a flying career to more people through this programme. We know from the overwhelming response and high standard of applications we had in the first year of Speedbird Pilot Academy, that there are a lot of talented people who just need a little bit of help to achieve their dream of becoming a commercial airline pilot – and we are pleased to give them that opportunity. We want to continue to attract the very best flying talent and our investment in this programme will help to ensure our future generation of pilots for years to come.”
This year, candidates can apply for up to 100 places in the Speedbird Pilot Academy, with British Airways fully-funding the approximate £100,000 cost of training. Starting April 16, 2024, interested applicants an apply by clicking here.
Source: British Airways