Jetstar has announced a pilot recruitment program for its regional operations in New Zealand to provide the best and brightest aviation students with a flying start to their career.

The recruitment pathway is open to aviation students at Massey University in Palmerston North and forms part of the Qantas Group Future Pilot Program, launched in Australia late last year as part of the Qantas Group’s plans to train the next generation of pilots for its airlines.

Massey is the first university outside Australia to be a part of the Qantas Group program.

Aviation students will have the opportunity to be mentored by experienced Qantas Group pilots throughout their studies at Massey and, if successful through the selection process, will transition to a job flying for Jetstar’s regional operation in New Zealand.

Based on current university intakes at Massey University the program will be open to a potential pool of up to 200 students enrolled in the Bachelor of Aviation each year.

Jetstar Australia and New Zealand Chief Pilot, Jeremy Schmidt, said the airline was pleased to partner with Massey University to create opportunities for the next generation of pilots in New Zealand.

“The students selected for this program will have an enormous head start to their career as a pilot. They will benefit from a direct pathway to Jetstar’s regional operations in New Zealand and access to our experienced pilots throughout their studies,” Captain Schmidt said.

“This program will arm high-performing, motivated students with the skills needed to transition into an airline and provide them with a platform to launch their career as a pilot.”

The Qantas Group Future Pilot Program is open to all future and current aviation students at all stages of their degree. Applications are now open and the first intake will commence in June 2018. Students can visit Massey University’s faculty website for more information.

More than 500 students are now enrolled in the program in Australia, and the participating universities have seen a 25 per cent increase in students enrolled in Aviation degrees since the program launched six months ago.

The Qantas Group Future Pilot Program complements existing Group recruitment streams, with applications now open for suitably qualified pilots across a number of Group airlines, and in the longer-term, through the Qantas Group Pilot Academy due to open in regional Australia in 2019.

The program follows the recent launch of the Qantas Group Nancy-Bird Walton Initiative, which will see the Group commit to a 20 per cent intake of women in its 2018 pilot recruitment programs, with the vision for that number to double over the next decade.