Air Transat partners with CAE to launch 18-month cadet training program

By Skies Magazine | September 21, 2023

Air Transat and CAE have joined forces to launch a new cadet training program that will help the airline secure a pipeline of “qualified pilots, trained to the highest standards.”

Called the Ascension Academy, the program offers aspiring pilots the opportunity to earn their wings and fly second-in-command for Montreal-based Air Transat, which operates a fleet of 36 Airbus-built aircraft to roughly 60 destinations.

The training program is to be hosted primarily at CAE’s Falcon Field Airport campus in Arizona, which is equipped with over 75 single- and twin-engine aircraft. Applications for the program are now open, with training set to begin in February 2024.

While CAE forecasts a need for 63,000 new commercial pilots in North America over the next decade, Air Transat’s VP of flight operations, Marc Gilbert, says the program “will enable us to recruit and train pilots in advance of the increased demand anticipated over the next years.

“One of the advantages of the Ascension Academy is that we will have a pipeline of pilots trained to our exacting standards with the specialized knowledge and skill to operate Air Transat’s fleet,” he continued. “Our strong company culture and positive employee experience will certainly attract many candidates.”

The Ascension Academy program, which is open to anyone, lasts roughly 18 months and is based on a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) training program — which incorporates a private pilot certificate, instrument rating, and commercial pilot certificate with multi-engine rating, according to CAE.

Graduates must then return to Canada and complete an FAA to Transport Canada licence conversion, before completing a type rating in Montreal.

Once hired as a first officer with Air Transat, pilots will fly “some of the most fuel-efficient, latest-generation aircraft,” such as the Airbus A330 and A321, to transborder and international destinations from the airline’s hub airports in Montreal (YUL) and Toronto (YYZ).

CAE noted that “all ground school, flight hours, simulator training, check rides, written exams, and training materials required for successful completion of the program are included.”  

However, ab initio pilot training comes at a steep cost, which CAE has acknowledged. The company said successful applicants “may access a funding solution with one of our approved partners” — though terms and conditions apply. In Canada, those partners include CIBC, which offers a student line of credit, and Scotiabank, which offers student loans.  

The cost of flight training is arguably the biggest barrier that prevents people from entering the aviation industry. Flair Airlines recently received flak after announcing its own 18-month cadet program, which comes at a cost of roughly C$160,000 — including C$145,000 for the iATPL program, plus C$15,000 for additional time building in the aircraft. Add on top of that the cost of housing in Collingwood, Ont., where the program is based, and the cost of a headset and iPad — which students must purchase.

Air Transat and CAE’s Ascension Academy program is nearly identical in cost, at US$118,150.