Okay Airways joins Boeing’s Pilot Development Program

Okay Airways has become the latest airline to join Boeing’s commercial Pilot Development Program (PDP) alongside other Chinese customers including Kunming Airlines and YTO Airlines.

Through the PDP, which is designed to develop cadets into 737 type-rated first officers, Boeing will oversee the screening, selection and training of 100 Okay Airways pilot cadets over the next five years.

“This strategic cooperation deepens our relationship with Boeing and allows us to lay a solid foundation for training and a steady stream of talent,” said Dr. Li Zonglin, CEO of Okay Airways. “The Pilot Development Program offers pragmatic and effective training, with continuous improvement of training quality.”

"Boeing's Pilot Development Program is just one way that our Boeing Global Services team is delivering solutions to meet the needs of customers, both in China and around the globe,” commented Keith Cooper, VP Training & Professional Services, Boeing Global Services. “The commercial aviation market is experiencing an unprecedented demand for pilots, and we anticipate this to continue for the next several years. We're committed to supporting the full lifecycle of an aircraft, and through our training business, we're helping to ensure that our airline customers have pilots available to fly them.”