Tui to pay costs of pilots’ training in boost for women

Tui Airways is to pay the upfront training costs for pilots, in the hope of boosting the number of women in the role. The airline will train 30 people a year from September. The cadet scheme is designed to remove barriers to entry, including the £130,000 cost of gaining a commercial pilot’s licence.

Training is expected to last around one and a half years and is unpaid.

Participants who complete the scheme will then be offered a job flying Boeing 737s, with training costs repaid through salary deductions over four years. This will result in an annual salary of nearly £32,900.

“Although only 5pc of pilots may be women now, the tide seems to be turning,” said Amy Bannister, a Tui Airways pilot.