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The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has declared its intention to address the regional pilot shortage by sending qualified pilots to foreign airlines.
It was confirmed by CAA Director General Nadir Shafi Dar, who said that the program is in response to the high demand for pilots in the region and that CAA has started working on this problem. He emphasized that Pakistan’s aviation sector would require more pilots than the country needs, with the surplus being supplied to international airlines.
Dar claims that two multinational corporations have shown interest in the initiative. The first phase of the project has already begun, with one business training a group of young Pakistani pilots on the ground.
Afterward, they were dispatched to Sharjah to undergo flight instruction. During this phase, 12 trainees from Pakistan were hired by domestic airlines after completing ground training in their home country and flying training in Sharjah.
The CAA has partnered with training providers to bridge the gap between basic pilot education and commercial pilot roles as part of their new initiative.
Dar stressed that efforts will be made to fund the training of these young pilots once the training academies are set up in Pakistan. Another factor that has contributed to the development of the aviation industry in the country is the encouragement of local flying clubs to enhance their capabilities.
According to Dar, the projected cost of completing initial flying hours for new pilots is between PKR 10 to 15 million.
