Titan Airways launches Cadet First Officer programme with VA

Titan Airways and Virtual Aviation (VA) have come together to launch a bonded Cadet First Officer recruitment programme to provide opportunities for low-hours cadet pilots.

The programme is open to pilots who hold a CPL ME/IR, including those who have not yet completed an MCC+JOC. Candidates who pass the the multi-stage selection process will then spend a month with Virtual Aviation undergoing AirlineReady™ MCC+JOC training. The pilots of the highest calibre will secure a conditional job offer from Titan Airways before starting.

Titan will oversee the cadets’ progress throughout the training. Providing they pass the final simulator-based evaluation, the cadets will be offered a First Officer position with the airline and assigned to fly either the Airbus A320, Boeing 737 or Boeing 757. The cost of the Type Rating and Base Training will be funded by Titan Airways.

Director of Flight Operations at Titan Airways, Captain Joe Dennett, commented, “As Titan moves into its 30th successful year of operations at Stansted Airport, we are delighted to partner with the team at VA to offer an opportunity for the very best low-hours pilots to join the fun, professional and dynamic team at Titan Airways.

"As a Stansted-based airline it made sense for us to join forces with the well respected team at VA, who are local to us, being based at Cambridge Airport. VA and their team of professional instructors and examiners have shown great flexibility in helping us achieve our goal of introducing a programme which enables the best cadets to launch their flying careers with one of the UK’s oldest and most dynamic airlines - and all of this with a significantly lower personal investment by the cadet than has become the industry norm,” Dennett added. Ben Boness, Chief Commercial Officer at VA, stated, “It’s been a pleasure to work with Titan as their refreshingly forward-thinking approach has made it possible to create a cadet programme which genuinely challenges the status quo. It not only benefits the individual, but also enables the airline to recruit cadets of the right calibre by selecting at an earlier stage and overseeing their remaining training.”