Irish Aviation Authority to pay for stranded trainee pilots to fly home
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.
Eighty Irish trainee pilots were told in late June by the Florida Institute of Technology Aviation (FIT) that they were not allowed into the air again.
The students could lose around €80,000 each after their studies were cancelled because of a dispute between the Pilot Training College in Waterford and the FIT.
The Irish Aviation Authority took the unprecedented step of temporarily suspending the training approval for the college in Waterford. The company said that it would come up with a viable restructuring plan soon.
Now, the IAA has agreed to fund the flight costs of the self-financing students in Florida who have an existing contract with the Pilot Training College and who wish to leave the US.
In a statement this evening, Mr Varadkar's office said: "While the Minister, the Department and the IAA do not have any involvement in, or responsibility for, the contractual arrangements between PTC and its students, the Minister regrets the difficulties being experienced by students and their families and has agreed with the IAA to fund the flight costs.
"This offer is being made as a gesture of goodwill and is made without prejudice. It only applies to self-financing students who are unable to complete their current pilot training in Florida. The offer is for the cost of a one-way airline ticket for those students."
Self-financing students who have already left the USA since June 26, when the IAA was first informed that the Florida Institute of Technology was ceasing all training activities in Florida for PTC, may also reclaim the cost of a one-way economy class airline ticket.
Those who wish to avail of the offer should contact the IAA on their helpline at 01 603 1111 from tomorrow morning.
