Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, celebrated a record number of 280 UAE national graduates from its award-winning Future Leaders programme.

The graduating class consisted of 86 cadet pilots; 82 technical engineers; 37 graduate managers; 13 airport operations managers; five sales managers; 53 Fursati Foundation Programme graduates; and four graduates from the Sabre programme.

The star performer awards for 2015 were presented to Mohammad Ali (cadet pilot); Khalifa Al Hosani (cadet pilot – Abu Dhabi University); Jasim Al Hammadi (technical engineer); Al Shaimaa Al Ameri (graduate manager); and Ameena Al Marzouqi (Fursati).

The graduation was attended by Hamad Al Shamsi, vice chairman of Etihad Airways Board; and Etihad Airways Board Members.

Shamsi and James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ president and chief executive officer delivered speeches at the ceremony in Abu Dhabi.

Hogan said: “We offer our congratulations to the record number of Emirati men and women who have today graduated from the Etihad Airways future leaders programme.

“The graduation ceremony marks a great moment in the graduates’ careers, and as they celebrate with friends and family, they can each look forward to a fulfilling career with Etihad Airways.”

“Etihad Airways continues to invest in the training and development of UAE nationals and these Future Leaders will go on to play a key part in the supporting the long-term development of the airline,” he said.

The five-year cadet pilot programme consists of three and a half years academic studies in partnership with Abu Dhabi University and an 18-month flight training at the Etihad Flight College in Al Ain.

The Etihad Airways’ technical engineering programme includes a Bachelor Degree programme from the Higher Colleges of Technology, the Abu Dhabi Polytechnic Institute, or a specialised aircraft maintenance institute, followed by two years of practical training at Abu Dhabi Airport working on the most modern airplanes in the industry.

To start working as engineers, the trainees have to obtain an approved engineer’s license from the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

The Graduate Management Programme is a workplace learning programme based on specialised functions including finance, information technology, global sales, airport operation, audit, human resource, revenue management and network planning.

The programme is underpinned by internationally accredited qualifications and integrates classroom education with on-the-job training both in the UAE and across the network.

Upon completion of the programme, graduates are deployed in various departments across the business and the airline’s global network.

The 53 Fursati graduates join the airline in direct entry customer-facing ground service roles.

Fursati, operated in partnership with Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council, is looking to recruit more than 500 UAE nationals during the next two years for entry level positions within the airline.

Etihad Airways offers 22 Development Programmes all of which allow UAE national graduates to develop key skills and gain practical experience which results in fast-tracked careers at the airline.

The airline currently employs more than 2,700 UAE nationals across its global business and plans to recruit more than 6,000 UAE nationals by 2020. – TradeArabia News Service