The British Airline Pilots’ Association – BALPA – today urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s to make good on his promise to invest in young people’s training by working with them on rejuvenating the pilot apprenticeship scheme.

BALPA Acting General Secretary Zohra Francis said, “The Prime Minister has promised young people better opportunities for good quality work, with more investments in apprenticeships.

“Being a pilot is a rewarding and enjoyable career, one of the best available to young people, but one for which cost of training is often a barrier.  There already is an apprenticeship scheme for pilots which needs some changes so it works for the industry and increases pathways into aviation.

“I’m asking the Government to sit down with BALPA, the airlines and stakeholders to iron out the problems and make the pilot apprenticeship work, so that everyone with the right potential and ambition, regardless of their background can have a real chance of becoming a pilot.”

ENDS

BALPA (British Airline Pilots’ Association) is the union and professional association for pilots in the UK, representing over 10,000 members