CAE has announced the launch of a cadet pilot training programme where CAE will train more than 700 new professional pilots over the next 10 years for Southwest Airlines’ Destination 225° programme at CAE’s aviation academy in Phoenix, Arizona.

“Destination 225° will support Southwest Airlines by developing world-class pilots who are ready to fly ‘The Southwest Way’,” said Alan Kasher, Southwest Airlines’ Vice President of Flight Operations. “We’re proud to partner with CAE in this comprehensive pilot development mission designed to make a pathway to becoming a Southwest Pilot an attainable goal for passionate, qualified individuals. CAE is an experienced, global leader in pilot training programs, and we look forward to working together for years to come.”

“We look forward to training the next generation of Southwest pilots at our aviation academy in Phoenix,” said Nick Leontidis, CAE’s Group President, Civil Aviation Training Solutions. “There is a growing need for airline pilots, and this programme will set a new standard in initial pilot training and in the transition to a professional pilot career in the United States.”

CAE’s cadet pilot training programme and Destination 225°

CAE will screen, assess and train cadets selected by Southwest Airlines. The selected cadets will begin FAA pilot licensing ground school followed by flight training at CAE. To join Southwest Airlines, the pilots can choose between two pathways to gain the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) requirements. In the first pathway, pilots can accumulate 1,500 hours as flight instructors at CAE Phoenix; in the second pathway, they have the opportunity to apply for First Officer positions with Destination 225° exclusive partners XOJET Aviation and Jet Linx. The business-jet pathway allows pilots to build their flying experience operating modern business jets while enjoying the employment benefits of being an XOJET Aviation or Jet Linx pilot, including the opportunity to upgrade to Captain.   

Both pathways lead to a transition Transport training programme that bridges experience from flight instruction to commercial transport operations. Once completed, pilots with the required experience can apply to Southwest Airlines as First Officer candidates and undergo Southwest’s Boeing 737NG type-rating training at the airline’s training facility in Dallas.

For more information on this programme, visit: www.cae.com/southwestairlines.