Academy progressing Qantas set to change training provider at Toowoomba school

QANTAS will no longer work with training provider L3 as part of its plan to build a pilot training academy at Wellcamp Airport.

A spokeswoman for the airline confirmed the decision this week.

“We expect to instead be working with another training provider and we will be in a position to announce this soon,” she said.

“It has no impact on our plans to start training in mid-2019.”

Architects are currently working on the final designs for the facilities, including hangars, classrooms and student accommodation. These plans are expected to be lodged with Toowoomba Regional Council soon.

The airline is also working on scholarships program for the academy, which will make a number of grants available to students who need it. There will also be a mentoring program with senior Qantas Group pilots for students.

Qantas Group Pilot Academy executive manager Wes Nobelius said everything was on track for the academy to accept its first students in the middle of this year.

“It’s been a busy couple of months for the Pilot Academy team with detailed design work under way with the Wagners and the local community to bring together plans for our new Pilot Academy,” Mr Nobelius said.

“Naturally, it takes time to have facilities designed, approved and built so to make sure we can start training as soon as possible, we’re looking at temporary accommodation for the first intake of students in the mid-2019.”

Toowoomba was announced as the location of the first of two much anticipated Qantas Pilot Academies in September last year. The second location has not been named.

Once it is fully operational the academy will have the capacity to train up to 250 pilots a year. The academy site will create ongoing employment for up to 160 people.