Waterford Airport officials back document calling for pilot training increase
The 60-page booklet, called A Pathfinder for Irish Aviation, is by Irelandia, an Irish aviation investment group. The authors engaged with a wide variety of industry leaders, in Ireland and internationally, and suggest how Ireland can build on its reputation as an aviation hub in global booming sector.
'In particular we believe the policy recommendation for an ISIF-backed loan fund to quadruple pilot training in Ireland would boost activity at Waterford, where flight training is already well established,' said an airport spokesperson. 'Waterford Airport will help scale up pilot training if Government helps expand the flight training schools.
'Such development would facilitate the further development of Waterford Airport, as would an expansion in marketing support for regional airports which is also recommended in A Pathfinder for Irish Aviation.
'This report together with the recent announcement that Waterford Airport in partnership with SETU will be the base for the National Aerospace Academy further solidifies the need for expansion to Waterford Airport,' added the spokesperson.
In its foreword, Dr Dec Ryan said they 'strongly believe commercial aviation contributes positively to economic, social and income progress across the world, helping both developed and developing economies to create employment and opportunity. We also know that Ireland has a special relationship with commercial aviation that stretches back over one hundred years.
'Today, Ireland is a proven leader in all critical parts of the aviation sector, being home to the world's most significant aircraft leasing companies, Europe's largest airline and a major eco-system of aviation related businesses in airports, maintenance facilities, manufacturing, air traffic control, pilot training, regulation and professional services that collectively employ over 50,000 people.
'It is in this context that Irelandia commissioned an analysis to identify a set of policy initiatives which will strengthen the Irish aviation industry. The urgency of this work is underscored by the risks to jobs and incomes associated with fast moving geo-political threats.'
Airports have 'profound positive effects on their local economies', according to the authors. 'Alongside direct employment they require a wide number of services that help manage the flow of passengers and operation of retail outlets.
'Research shows that for every one million passengers, airports can create 2,000 to 4,000 jobs in various roles, from pilots and air traffic controllers to crews, security personnel, office staff, maintenance teams and retail workers.'
Ireland is the global leader in aircraft leasing, a high value sub-set of the international financial services sector, say the authors. It is estimated over 50pc of all commercial aircraft worldwide are leased.
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Over 50 leasing companies operate in Ireland, managing a combined fleet of 10,000 airplanes, over 7,000 owned and around 3,000 managed, with orders for a further 2,600. Eleven of these leasing companies are headquartered in Ireland.
'The sector leases aircraft to airlines across the world and these companies are positioning to benefit from the forecast 80pc increase in commercial aircraft numbers over the next 20 years.'
Pilot training in Ireland takes place in two schools, the Atlantic Flight Training Academy (AFTA) based in Cork and Waterford airports, and the National Flight Centre (NFC) located in Weston airport.
These schools produce about 100 qualified commercial pilots annually and between them operate a fleet of over 35 single and multi-engine aircraft in addition to a number of simulators.
To quadruple the output of commercial pilots in Ireland, the authors recommend creating a €40m pilot training loan fund from the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) to provide low cost debt finance to train commercial pilots at Irish flight schools, quadrupling the annual flow of cockpit crews for European airlines and positioning Ireland as a centre of excellence for pilot training with a focus on smaller underutilised airports including Waterford, Sligo, Derry and Weston.
Other recommendations include a focus on training activities at underutilised airports, including Waterford, Weston and Sligo, and that the Government work with communities using €14,000 per year tax break to accommodate students.
The authorities should co-ordinate pilot output with demand from airlines in Ireland and abroad, adds the report.
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