Delta Air Lines has announced the launch of the Delta Propel Flight Academy, a new pilot training academy in partnership with Skyborne Airline Academy.
The program, which is the fourth pathway for aspiring pilots under the Propel Pilot Career Path Program, will begin accepting applications from interested candidates and open its doors to the first class of students in June. The academy will be based in a newly refurbished 12,000-square-foot facility situated within Skyborne’s Vero Beach, Florida, campus.
According to Patrick Burns, Delta’s V.P. – Flight Operations and System Chief Pilot, the Propel Flight Academy is the latest chapter in the airline’s longstanding commitment to investing in and creating new, equitable pathways for qualified talent to enter the pilot profession. He stated, “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.”
Students who are accepted into the academy will be eligible to receive up to $20,000 in financial support from Delta. The airline will also cover the cost of interest on student loans from select lenders. Student pilots will complete private, instrument, commercial, and certified flight instructor (CFI) training in an airline-focused way. Upon completion of certified flight instructor training, they will be offered employment with Skyborne as a certified flight instructor. In that role, they will receive full sponsorship from Skyborne 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.
Lee Woodward, CEO of Skyborne Airline Academy, said, “Our team is looking forward to taking Delta Propel Flight Academy students through their pilot training journey and into their chosen career with a global airline leader who shares the same values as us in training and customer experience.”
Delta’s Propel Pilot Career Path Program has been successful to date, with nearly 100 participants completing its existing Company, College, and Community pathway programs and now flying for Delta. Another 700 pilots are currently enrolled in the program and working towards the same goal. The new Delta Propel Flight Academy is expected to further Delta’s commitment to developing and training the next generation of pilots.
For more information, visit propel.delta.com or www.skyborne.com.
