Mackay Chosen as Location for Qantas Pilot Academy

Qantas has chosen Mackay, Queensland, as the preferred location for its second Pilot Academy site.

The decision follows a competitive process to select two locations from a shortlist of nine regional cities, with Toowoomba in southern Queensland announced as the first location for the Academy last September.

Estimates suggest that 790,000 more pilots will be required globally over the next 20 years with around one third of them in the Asia Pacific.

Qantas says that Mackay was selected due to a high proportion of clear weather days per year, access to uncongested airspace, access to support infrastructure and ability to attract students and trainers to live in the area.

Qantas will now work with Mackay Regional Council, Mackay Airport and the Queensland Government to further progress the proposal for the site.

In the meantime, Qantas is focused on opening the Pilot Academy’s first site in Toowoomba which is on track to open its doors to the first student intake in September 2019 with construction on hangars, classrooms and student accommodation underway.

Qantas Group Pilot Academy Executive Manager, Wes Nobelius, said, “Mackay offers optimal flying conditions and a sunny Queensland lifestyle which makes it an ideal site for a pilot academy. It’s home to good infrastructure, a proud community – even a new, state-of-the-art sport and recreation precinct for students, trainers and their families. We were really moved by the way locals came together with the #MackayWantsYouQantas campaign. Our initial focus is opening the first Pilot Academy site in Toowoomba and rapidly expanding the number of pilots there next year, before we progress our plans for Mackay.”

Applications for interested students opened in May and Qantas’ appointed training provider, Flight Training Adelaide (FTA) is working through the selection process for the first intake of students at Toowoomba.

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