Cebu Pacific opens 7th batch of ‘study now, pay later’ program for cadet pilot applicants

Budget carrier Cebu Pacific has opened 16 slots to aspiring pilots under the seventh edition of its "study now, pay later, zero-interest" training program.

The carrier on Friday said it will be selecting 16 cadet pilots to join six other batches currently undergoing pilot training at the Flight Training Adelaide (FTA) in Australia.

The application period will be from May 17 to 26, 2019.

Interested applicants may visit this site to apply for the program starting 12 noon on May 17.

"There is no application fee for the program," Cebu Pacific said.

Applicants must be Filipino citizens, who are college graduates and proficient in English.

There are no preferred college degrees, and applicants need only have an average grade of at least 80% or its equivalent in subjects related to Math, Physics and English.

"Only applicants who pass the online pre-screening will proceed with the next stages of the selection process. The selection process consists of interviews, computer aptitude tests, medical examinations, psychological tests and spoken English tests," Cebu Pacific said.

Only successful applicants undergo an on-site screening for core skills and pilot aptitude tests, among others, where a fee of AU$425.00 (about PHP19,000) will be charged, the carrier said.

The program entails 52 weeks of integrated flight training, theory, and education at the Flight Training Adelaide (FTA) in Australia, four weeks of training to obtain a pilot’s license under the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

"Cebu Pacific shoulders the entire cost of the pilot training. Cadet-pilots who successfully complete the training are assured of employment with the carrier," the carrier said.

"They then reimburse the cost of the program through monthly salary deduction over a maximum of 10 years at zero-interest," it said.

Since the program was launched in late-2017, Cebu Pacific has deployed 80 cadet pilots to FTA, selected from over 38,000 applicants, with a sixth batch set to depart for training by July 2019. — MDM, GMA News