28 May 2025
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
AFTA – Ireland’s largest Commercial Airline Pilot Training academy, has welcomed the publication of a new Irelandia report – ‘A Pathfinder for Irish Aviation’ and it’s finding’s concerning Pilot Training –
“A key obstacle to airline pilot training in Ireland is access to finance from Irish based lenders and especially for cadets from lower income cohorts – Ireland can quickly accelerate its annual output of professionally trained commercial pilots if debt funding can be secured at a reasonable interest rate” (Mark Casey, AFTA CEO and Founder)
Ireland’s largest Pilot Training Academy, AFTA has welcomed the publication of a new report by investment group Irelandia – “A Pathfinder for Irish Aviation” and its analysis on Irish Aviation and its policy recommendations, in relation to Pilot Training and improving access to competitive finance for cadets.
Atlantic Flight Training Academy, one of Europe’s leading Independent Flight Training Organisation’s, which recently celebrated 30 years in business operating at Cork airport and Waterford airport, believes the key recommendation to introduce an ISIF backed loan fund to help cadets finance their training would trigger a significant increase in commercial pilot output in Ireland. AFTA alone has over 100 applications on file from individuals who simply cannot access the more than €100,000 required for a full commercial pilot’s license.
Cork Runway 1-6
Capt. Mark Casey, AFTA Founder and CEO, said:
“If this recommendation is implemented AFTA will commit to expanding its operations at airports including Waterford.”
The Enterprise-Ireland client firm believes the number of pilots trained in Ireland could quadruple in a relatively short period. AFTA has trained an impressive roll-call of 2,800 highly – skilled commercial pilots for leading airlines and commercial operators across the world, since its foundation at Cork airport in 1995. Airline customers have already indicated to AFTA that they have demand for extra pilots and they are ready to employ a significantly increased output of suitably qualified cockpit crew.
“Ireland can quickly accelerate its annual output of professionally trained commercial pilots if funding can be secured at a reasonable interest rate for prospective students. At every Pilot Career’s – recruitment event we attend, AFTA staff are constantly reminded by parents and students about the lack of available finance for prospective Pilot Cadets in Ireland. This issue is the major barrier – to – entry . Furthermore, this puts Irish Pilot Training Schools, like AFTA, at a competitive disadvantage, while our EU competitor Schools, enjoy main Street bank lending for trainees and state backed lending for trainees. We stand ready to respond proactively and positively to any Government initiative in this context and welcome Irelandia’s analysis of Irish aviation and its specific recommendation concerning pilot training.”