Emirates Flight Training Academy celebrates first ever cadet graduation ceremony

Captain Abdulla Al Hammadi, Vice President Emirates Flight Training Academy, spoke to the graduation audience.  Image:  Emirates Flight Training Academy

The Emirates Flight Training Academy graduation ceremony was attended by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline and Group, Emirates senior management, as well as Dubai government representatives. The ceremony was livestreamed for families and friends of the cadets to virtually show their support.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed awarded the certificates to the successful cadets. The future aviators underwent over 1,100 hours of ground-based training, along with 315 hours of flight instruction (including simulator flying), to obtain their Integrated Air Transport Pilot Licence, as they now follow on to complete their Type Rating. The training EFTA provided its cadets exceeds the guidelines prescribed by the GCAA for ab initio pilot training.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed said: "We recognise the hard work and extraordinary accomplishments of our cadets as they embark on the next phase of their aviation journey. The world-class education and integrated training provided at EFTA has not only provided our cadets with the technical abilities needed for the profession, but also the passion and enthusiasm that will be the bedrock for their future careers. We will continue to look at the bigger picture, and as the industry overcomes the setbacks posed by the pandemic, we want to make sure we are ready for the future. I am immensely proud of EFTA's efforts to develop home-grown Emirati talent who will become the next generation of pilots, strengthening the UAE's position as a global hub for aviation."

Captain Abdulla Al Hammadi, vice president Emirates Flight Training Academy, said: "2020 has been a year like no other, during which the 25 cadets have navigated every obstacle in their path to reach the finish line. I am truly humbled by the determination shown by each and every one of them in reaching this goal. Not only did they manage to successfully complete one of the most intense pilot training courses in the world, but they did it in the midst of a pandemic. They will always be the first cadets to have flown our EFTA planes, to have trained on our simulators and to have worn our uniform with pride. They have truly left their mark on EFTA and set a high standard for those following in their footsteps."