FG sends 20 pilots for training in Germany

By LOUIS IBA

The Federal Government says as part of efforts to boost manpower development in the aviation sector, it is investing in the further training of 20 commercial licensed pilots at the Lufthansa Pilot Institute in Germany.
The 20 pilots, which left the country on Sunday, consist of 19 males and a female and are part of the first batch of commercial pilots from the Niger Delta region earlier trained under a special scheme arranged by the Presidency in South Africa.
The further training programme in Germany is to get the pilots ‘type rated’ – a special training programme that lasts about 14 months – on how to fly the modern Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft and end the dominance of foreign pilots in the industry.
Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr. Kinsley Kuku at a pre-departure event organized for the pilots said it was the first time the Federal Government would be investing in the training of Nigerian pilots following the liquidation of Nigeria Airways.
He said another batch of 10 pilots would be sent to the CAE Aviation Academy at Oxford, United Kingdom.
Kuku, said it all, the government targeted the training of over 200 professionals in the aviation sector (as pilots and engineers) to bridge the manpower gap in the sector.
“The training in Germany will be for 14 months, as the pilots will be equipped to fly the modern Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft used by most countries in the world,” Kuku said.
“The training programme is unique because it is the first time the Nigerian government is training such large number of youths as key professionals in a strategic sector as aviation. These pilots are Nigerians and they are the next generation of aviation professionals that will take the industry to the next level,” he added.
Kuku said the government was partnering with some domestic airlines to facilitate job opportunities for the pilots upon the completion of their training in Germany.
He said the government was also collaborating with the relevant aviation agencies to also train air traffic controllers, aeronautical engineers and other professionals critical in promoting air safety.
Also speaking, the Principal Manager (Aviation) in the Presidential Amnesty Office, Captain Perekeme Porbeni, called on industry stakeholders to assist the pilots with jobs .