Turkish Airlines (THY) Chairman of the Board Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat made important statements regarding the company’s pilot recruitment policy. Bolat announced that THY aims to meet its pilot requirements entirely through its own flight academy in the coming period.
2,600 Type-Rating-Free Pilots Join the Fleets
Bolat stated that approximately 2,600 “type-rating-free” pilots have been hired over the past three years, saying, “These pilots have undergone specific training, but it was not yet determined which fleet they would serve in. Our pilots who have completed their training are gradually joining our fleets. We currently have a total of 7,200 pilots,” he said.
New Pilots to Be Trained at TAFA in Aydın
Emphasising that THY will meet its pilot needs internally, Bolat said, “From now on, we will recruit our new pilots from our flight school TAFA in Aydın. We accept university graduates and provide them with one and a half years of training. Afterwards, they continue their training on aircraft and join the THY family. We will increase our current capacity from 300 to 500. From now on, we will almost completely eliminate external pilot recruitment,” he said.
Number of Foreign Pilots Decreased
Touching on the employment of foreign pilots, Bolat stated, “At one time, our number of foreign pilots reached into the thousands, but now it is just above 200. We haven’t hired foreign pilots for a long time — there is no longer a need,” he said.
