In a major announcement made at the Pilot Careers Live North on 8th July in Manchester, British Airways (BA) revealed its ambitious new recruitment plans for eligible trainee pilots and military flight crews.
Set to launch on Friday 14th July, is British Airways’ Whitetail Recruitment programme. In partnership with approved training organisations (ATOs) Skyborne, L3Harris, Leading Edge Aviation, FTEJerez, and CAE, BA is stepping up efforts to recruit and train pilots of the future. The programme involves a process where trainee pilots will be ‘tagged’ by BA as potential candidates suitable for a career with the airline.
Eligibility for the whitetail recruitment programme extends to any students enrolled in courses with the partnering ATOs, regardless of whether they’re pursuing modular or integrated training paths. To qualify, students must have completed their Air Transport Pilot License (ATPL) theory exams.
Provided that students meet the stringent entry criteria laid out by British Airways, they will receive conditional job offers from the airline. This criteria includes an average of 85% on Ground School exams, no more than three exam retakes, only one allowed course re-enrollment, and a first series pass in Commercial Pilot License (CPL) and Instrument Rating (IR). Applicants must also hold an APS MCC certification and hold their UK Part-FCL licence. This opportunity is open to anyone who completed their training from 1st January 2020 onwards.
On successful completion of their training, the new cadets will be transferred to BA Euroflyer, where they will join the A320 fleet at Gatwick.
In another significant move, British Airways is also relaunching its Newly Qualified Pilot Pathway (NQPP), which is available to anyone who has completed either a modular or integrated course with training carried out at any ATO, but no more than three training providers. The application process and recruitment standard will be the same as for the whitetail programme. Selected candidates will join the BA Euroflyer A320 fleet.
Looking ahead to 2024, BA announced a managed pathway agreement with the British armed forces, requiring military pilots to have logged 1500 hours on any service aircraft and be within two years of their pension point. Successful candidates will be placed at either Heathrow or Gatwick, depending on the availability of training.
Meanwhile, amidst speculation, BA confirmed they are working on a cadet scheme. Details of this programme are yet to be announced. Aspiring candidates are encouraged to follow British Airways on social media and sign up for job advertisements to stay updated on future developments.
