Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, today announced a new 5-year partnership agreement with two quality Flight Training organizations for the provision of cadet pilots to the airline. Courses will start from September 2015 and will initially involve up to 40 cadets per year. The courses will be delivered under EASA regulations and include training for an Integrated ATPL combined with an Airbus A320 type rating.

Following a competitive tendering and evaluation process Wizz Air has selected CTC Aviation and the Central European Flight Academy to conduct this training. Graduates will learn and develop skills that are relevant and focused towards the operational needs of Wizz Air to support the significant growth of the airline with high quality co-pilots trained full-time as airline pilots. The cadet program will enable graduates to join the airline directly as co-pilots flying Airbus A320 aircraft on the WIZZ network after receiving comprehensive training. Co-pilots have an excellent career opportunity to progress to the rank of Captain, after gaining the necessary years of experience in the airline.

Wizz Air will provide a job guarantee (subject to achieving proficiency) upon successful completion of training thus assisting the trainees to access the required funding for the program.  This guarantee at the outset is rare in the aviation industry and a sign of the airline’s commitment to find the highest quality cadet pilots in the market.

David Morgan, Head of Flight Operations and Chief Pilot at Wizz Air, said: “Our people are at the heart of Wizz Air and we’re delighted to offer this opportunity to a whole new generation of airline pilots. They’ll become part of the Wizz Air family and will enjoy an amazing opportunity to be employed directly as a co-pilot on our fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft with a career potential to become a Captain and beyond into management. It’s an exciting chapter in our history and we are looking forward to finding our talented flight crew for the future.”