Fiji Airways pilot plan

Fiji Airways has in place a program that will see more Fijian pilots on its aircraft. Picture: FILE+ Enlarge this image

Fiji Airways has in place a program that will see more Fijian pilots on its aircraft. Picture: FILE

THE national airline is monitoring its pilot progression program to have more Fijian pilots on its aircraft.

The program was launched two months ago, and according to Fiji Airways CEO Stefan Pichler, they hope to achieve their target by 2017.

He said this was not an easy exercise because the company's present mix of pilots was two-third expatriate and one-third local.

"We are trying to change that. We also need to grow and we will need additional pilots. So we are doing it step by step. The pilots operating Pacific Sun, soon-to-be Fiji Link, will all want to go to Boeing 737 later but we have to control it," Mr Pichler said.

"If there are eight pilots, maybe two can go in the first year and the others in the following years. This will not be done overnight because we have to train and monitor the progress of every pilot to ensure we are fully compliant with international standards."

He said this was to ensure the safety of staff members and passengers.

Source:   http://www.fijitimes.com