New MOU Targets Pilot Training Finance Gap

Atlantic Flight Training Academy (AFTA), Elevate and Clonmel Credit Union have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), marking a step forward in developing a finance solution for aspiring commercial airline pilot students in Ireland.

The initiative follows a recommendation in the Pathfinder for Irish Aviation report, a roadmap for Ireland's aviation sector commissioned by Irelandia and authored by Joe Gill and Eamonn Brennan. The report identified access to pilot training finance as a barrier facing aspiring pilots and called for the development of funding solutions.

The cost of professional pilot training can exceed €100,000. The project has been developed through collaboration between AFTA, Clonmel Credit Union, Elevate, Irelandia and stakeholders involved in advancing the Pathfinder report's recommendations.

Mark Casey, Founder and CEO of AFTA, said: "For many years, we've seen talented individuals with the ability and determination to become professional pilots but without a clear pathway to finance their training. This agreement marks an important milestone in addressing that challenge and opens up new opportunities for future generations of pilots."

The signing of the MOU represents the beginning of a formal collaboration between the organisations, with further details on the pilot finance initiative expected to be discussed during the Atlantic Flight Training Academy Open Day in Cork.