Delta Air Lines Set to Open Flight Academy

Up and running. Or should we say, up and flying.

Delta Air Lines announced on Tuesday it has opened a new flight training academy, called the Propel Flight Academy, to train the future pilots of tomorrow. The nation has seen a pilot shortage for several years now, something the CEOs of most airlines readily admit.

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The Delta Propel Flight Academy, operated in partnership with training provider Skyborne Airline Academy, will officially open its doors to the first class of students in June.

“The Propel Flight Academy is the latest chapter in our longstanding commitment to invest in and create new, equitable pathways for qualified talent to enter the pilot profession,” Delta vice president Patrick Burns said.

“We look forward to watching a new generation of pilots begin their journey at the Propel Flight Academy and eventually join us in the flight deck to help show Delta customers why no one better connects the world,” Burns continued.

The academy is the fourth pathway type created for aspiring pilots by the Propel Pilot Career Path Program since its inception in 2018. To date, nearly 100 participants have completed Propel’s existing Company, College and Community pathway programs and are now flying for Delta, while another 700 pilots are currently enrolled in the program and working toward that same goal.

Student pilots will be eligible to receive up to $20,000 from Delta in financial support. Delta will also cover the cost of interest on student loans from select lenders. The Propel Pilot Academy will be based in a newly refurbished 12,000-square-foot facility situated within Skyborne’s Vero Beach, Florida, campus.

Once students have completed certified flight instructor training, they will be offered employment with Skyborne as certified flight instructors. In that role, they will receive full sponsorship for Certified Flight Instructor Instrument and Multi-Engine Instructor Rating, as well as a generous salary and private health benefits, until they reach 1,500 hours. Upon completion, employment will begin at one of Delta’s Connection Carriers as a first officer.

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