UNITED AVIATE ACADEMY TAKES FLIGHT AT KGYR

United Airlines has announced the first class of the United Aviate Academy at the Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR). The students will undergo a rigorous year-long training program that will help them to develop their future careers as pilots with the airline. More than 7,500 applications were received in under six months for the program with 30 students selected for the inaugural class.

The United Aviate Academy leased a 340,000-square-foot facility from the city of Phoenix and will sublease a portion of the facility to Lufthansa Aviation Training. After the first class graduates from the program, United Aviate Academy expects 25 to 50 new students on a monthly basis and 500 students annually. The airline anticipates hiring at least 10,000 pilots by 2030. Students at the academy will have access to a fleet of Cirrus SR-20 aircraft, 50,000-square-feet of office space, housing, and favorable area weather. United previously announced a goal of creating 25,000 unionized jobs by 2026 to include pilots, flight attendants, agents, technicians, and dispatchers.