A US pilot school has banned solo flights for trainees at one of the world's top airlines after a spate of incidents
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images
- A pilot school in Phoenix has stopped cadets from Cathay Pacific flying solo, per Bloomberg.
- It said planes were damaged in incidents that weren't properly reported.
- Cathay, one of the world's top airlines, is trying to increase pilot numbers after dropping during Covid.
An Arizona pilot school has stopped Cathay Pacific trainees from solo flights after several incidents that went unreported, Bloomberg first reported.
Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong flag carrier, is one of the world's best airlines — one of just 10 globally to be ranked five stars by Skytrax.
In an internal memo, the AeroGuard Flight Training Center in Phoenix said it saw "an alarming increase in solo incidents during cadet training," per Bloomberg.
It added that the incidents involved a wingtip colliding with a fixed object, a "bounced landing" leading to a "substantial" propellor strike, and a complete runway excursion.
"While each situation was unique, in each case the concern was the same — required consultation did not occur," the memo reportedly said.
Bloomberg also reported that the students didn't properly report the damage in two of the three incidents.
In a statement shared with Business Insider, Cathay Pacific acknowledged the events and added, "We are taking them seriously."
"These incidents involve our sponsored students, who will become our employees upon successful graduation from the training course," it said.
"They will then need to undergo additional structured training before being assigned any flying duty."
A source familiar with the situation told Bloomberg that the decision would affect around 150 of the 250 to 300 Cathay cadets training at the school.
The decision hinders Cathay's ongoing plans to increase its number of pilots after the pandemic, when the airline instituted steep pay cuts.
Several pilots quit during that time, with some telling Reuters that strict COVID measures in Hong Kong were affecting their mental health.
In the statement, Cathay Pacific said, "Safety guides every decision we make, and we fully support the decision of the training school."
"We will continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our cadet pilots and crew members, and we remain dedicated to upholding the highest standards in our training programs," it added.
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