flydubai's New Pilot Training Deal Changes Everything

Klaus Schmidt · 2026-09-18

### A Quick Look at What's Happening flydubai just made a move that says a lot about where the airline is headed. The Dubai-based carrier announced a strategic partnership with Egnatia Aviation and Skyborne Airline Academy, two flight schools that will now train cadets through its Ab Initio Pilot Training Programme. If you're wondering what that actually means, here's the short version: flydubai is building its own pilot pipeline from the ground up. ### What the Partnership Actually Involves Cadets in the program will work toward a Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL). That's a specific type of licence designed around how modern airlines actually fly — with two pilots working as a coordinated crew rather than as individuals. - Egnatia Aviation and Skyborne will each deliver flight instruction for cadets in the program - Training focuses on the MPL, which is tailored to airline operations from day one - The Ab Initio programme starts from scratch, taking cadets with little or no flying experience ### Why flydubai Is Doing This The airline isn't shy about its reasons. flydubai is expanding its fleet, and a bigger fleet needs more pilots. Rather than scrambling to recruit trained aviators from a market that's already stretched thin, the carrier is growing its own. It's a long-term play. Training a pilot takes years, so the earlier you start, the better off you are when new aircraft arrive. As one industry observer put it, the airlines that control their own training pipeline are the ones that won't be grounded waiting for crew. ### The Bigger Picture for Aviation Pilot shortages have been a recurring headache for airlines worldwide. By partnering with established academies instead of building everything in-house, flydubai gets expertise and infrastructure without reinventing the wheel. For cadets, it's a rare path: structured training with a clear route to a commercial cockpit. For flydubai, it's a steadier supply of pilots who already understand the airline's standards and procedures before they ever fly a passenger flight. ### What to Watch Next The partnership was announced from Dubai, and the real test will be how many cadets move through the programme in the coming years. If it works, expect other carriers to copy the model. Building a sustainable pipeline isn't glamorous, but it might be the smartest thing an airline can do right now.