Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar has confirmed that the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) will pay for trainee pilots who are stranded in the US to fly home.

A fleet of planes used by Waterford’s Pilot Training College have been put up for sale, as the company tries to save a cash-strapped business which has left hundreds of families seriously out of pocket.

The Irish Aviation Authority has suspended flight-training approval for the Waterford-based Pilot Training Centre of Ireland (PTC) after 80 trainee Irish pilots were told their course is being halted.

Trading difficulties are being blamed for the stranding in Florida of 80 trainee Irish pilots, who after forking out €83,000 for training, have been told their course is being halted, the Irish Examiner's Claire O'Sullivan reports.

Up to 80 Irish trainee pilots who paid as much as €83,000 for flight training are stranded in Florida after being told their course will not be continuing.

Up to 80 Irish trainee pilots who paid as much as €83,000 for flight training are stranded in Florida after being told their course will not be continuing.