July 12, 2018

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), on Thursday, said it would introduce new pricing of most of its training courses to make them more accessible to developing nations as part of its strong support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

IATA made the announcement in a statement signed by its Director of Training, Mr Guy Brazeau, which was posted on the website of the Geneva-based aviation body.

“Aviation is the business of freedom and a catalyst for development. A well-trained aviation workforce is essential to realising the industry’s potential to support social and economic growth — critical enablers of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

“By making IATA training more accessible in developing nations, we are helping airlines nurture the talent they need to support growing demands for connectivity. And we are helping individuals to enrich their career opportunities in aviation,” Brazeau said.

According to him, from July 15, almost all of IATA’s aviation training catalogue, including more than 350 courses in 17 subject areas of the business, will be offered at a 30 per cent discount to aviation professionals residing in one of the developing nations.

He said that each year, IATA helps to train over 100,000 aviation professionals around the world and also offers more than 40 different diploma programmes in partnership with top academic institutions around the world, to assist aviation businesses operate safely, efficiently and sustainably.

This decision also enhances IATA’s solid commitment to the “No Country Left Behind’’ initiative of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

“Moreover, IATA and its 290 member airlines make annual contributions to the International Airline Training Fund (IATF), which sponsors learning and development opportunities for aviation organisations in areas of the world where it is most needed.

“By making our training offering more accessible in developing nations, we are helping to achieve the No Country Left Behind objective to ensure that all states have access to the significant socio-economic benefits of safe and reliable air transport.

“Key to that is global standards which are at the heart of IATA’s training curriculum,” Brazeau said.