New partnership to help trainee pilots fund training

AFTA, Elevate, and Clonmel Credit Unions unite to create a vital finance solution, opening the skies for aspiring commercial airline pilots in Ireland.

Atlantic Flight Training Academy pilot instructors and pilot cadets.

The Cork-headquartered Atlantic Flight Training Academy (AFTA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Elevate and Clonmel Credit Unions for the development of a dedicated finance solution for aspiring commercial airline pilot students in Ireland.

The initiative follows a recommendation contained within the Pathfinder for Irish Aviation report, a strategic blueprint for the future development of Ireland's aviation sector. The report was commissioned by Irelandia and authored by aviation experts Joe Gill and Eamonn Brennan. It identified access to pilot training finance as one of the key barriers facing aspiring pilots and called for the development of innovative funding solutions to support future generations entering the profession.