Alpha Aviation - Air Arabia cadet pilot programme

[Garfie10]

Alpha Aviation Air Arabia Cadet Program

Hello everyone,

I wanted to ask if any current or alumni of alpha aviation Sharjah can please offer their advice on whether alpha is a good program? I hear there are no guarantees after line training to get employment with Air Arabia due to the high number of cadets available and only the lucky ones from each batch get contracts.

Is this a good time to start with alpha?
As the investment is so huge, what can one do with just 1500 hours with no employment?

Please offer your advice on this program. Thank you

[Garfie10]

Can you please specify why you don't encourage? Don't the top cadets get contracts with the airline?

[IcanCmyhousefromhere]

Asking someone who has only the experience of one training school isn’t going to be able to give an objective opinion on it being good. What do they compare it to? Wanting employment from it shouldn’t be your aim.
be extremely cautious about how much you give to any school. Using your money as their cash flow before they go bust has happened before. Due diligence is needed. Good luck.

[Garfie10]

I don't want employment from them but I want some sort of employment once I invest so much and gain the minimum 1500 hours. So I want to know the overall airline industry whether they value someone with all those hours and training that alpha imparts.

Also the issue if employment comes up because they advertise that once you graduate you will have the option to obtain contract from air Arabia for employment. But as time has passed the pool of cadets is a lot so they cannot give everyone employment as the program has now become popular.

[Garfie10]

You were in Alpha? Seriously no contracts were offered to your batch? What do these cadets do then when they're let go at 1500 hours or before? Any reason given like performance issues etc?

If you had a second chance would you do it again. I'm seriously interested but current cadets who have reached line training aren't happy about it. What do they pay in line training I've heard it's 5k dhirams a month?

[pfvspnf]

After 1500 hours and ATPL they sit at home because there are no jobs out there and won’t be for a long time . They will rip you off at every stage and could fail you in training .

5000 during training after you pay them
600,000

[Shwan94]

hi with atpl did you mean uae gcaa atpl exams? iam planning to sit them soon so i was looking for some feedbacks regarding the best question bank used to pass these gcaa atpl exams in uae.

[P_pilotaviation]

Shwan94

As far as I know , one can give four attempts for a paper in uae gcaa...Also, some people say that AAG gives a question bank and almost all the questions in gcaa exams are from those question banks...although if anyone seconds this , it would be better and clear the picture..

Leander320

The contract was stopped due to Covid and no cadet was fired...Also it used to happen earlier that they keep on asking additional money for different costs...as earlier cost was 4 lakh 40 aed and it didn't include cost of gcaa exams and various other things so students had to pay separately for all those...but now they mention total combined cost is 6 lakh ead so no additional costs etc they ask in between

[Shwan94]

really appreciate the feedback, i know that they used a question bank provided by AAG to pass these exams, thats why i was trying to know which one they used since there is alot of atpl question bank providers nowadays.

[Pilot_a321]

In the current situation it is definitely not worth it to spend such a huge amount with no guarantee that you will be given permanent contract after 1500hrs. Every first officer is not being given the permanent contract now post 1500 except maybe a few with wasta.

There are soo many laid off pilots with a lot more experience who are finding it impossible to find a job. So definitely will be a long time until 1500 hrs becomes the basic requirement for a FO to get a job elsewhere. The airline laying people off in the name of covid makes absolutely no sense as the airline is doing fairly well, they have managed to even open a new base in the last one year in Abu dhabi and are flying.

The country UAE is mostly open with no major restrictions/ lockdowns, so it has definitely not impacted the airline to such a extent for them to let go of FO's in the name of covid. It's absolutely disgusting.

[kroy]

Need to get in contact

Leander320

I am an Alpha guy as well, I have the same views as you, I tried to PM you not able to. Is there another way I can contact you.

[flyhigh787]

Originally Posted by Leander320

P_pilotaviaton

1) Agree no cadets were fired but there were people who were offered ABY contracts and fired with in weeks after getting contracts so yeah just to correct myself .

2) The Alpha contract has only gotten worse with time.
Yes they do ask for additional payment for your ATPL check which is apparently not a part of the contract (charging 9000AED for a 10 min check that could be done with your OPC without virtually any cost !!) this is daylight robbery because they used to not charge for it until now.

No matter what they are charging right now they will always find a reason to make you pay more as they know you have no other options.

why were they fired? I think the program used to be good like many of them went on to other airlines after their 1500hrs. But now it’s different and the delays are so bad. Also heard the recent cadets work as cabin crews after their training.

[Garfie10]

Alpha Aviation Cadet Sharjah

Any updates on whether one should pursue this? I hear many unemployed pilots in middle east.

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[toga.320]

Not worth joining alpha aviation now. Supply is more than demand so they're delaying their cadets in almost all phases of course for atleast 10 months per phase. So you'll probably start your 1500hours line training when your grandkid will enroll in alpha aviation for atpl ground classes

[Garfie10]

Alpha Aviation Air Arabia Cadet

How's the situation with unemployed pilots in UAE? Are the pilots who were let go due to covid being re-hired by their ex airlines?

I ask this because I'm confused whether or not to start the Alpha Aviation Cadet program.

Any thoughts on this at the current time? Viable or a loss? 2-3 yrs down the road what do pilot jobs in UAE look like with a GCAA ATPL and 1500 hrs?

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[aviatation mentor]

I am an arabia cadet. Tell the truth, it would take around 8years to complete from the beginning which is from the ATPL GS till 1500hrs completion. even before covid, it tooks more than 5years. since covid they keep hiring new cadets. the cadets who joined this program in 2018 still waiting for joining airline training. it's been 4years since they joined this program. and they are expecting to join airline to start to build up 1500hrs end of this year. so it's been around 4~5years to join the airline. also for 1500hrs, it usually takes 2years. so even people joined in 2018 they would have spent 6~7years to become first officer who get normal salary as we expect if we get contract. since covid, they accepted more people to join their program. they will make you finish within 3~4years but it doesn't mean that you're going to airline right after you complete the mpl course. after you finish your mpl, we think it takes around 1year delay to join airline because a lot of cadets in between line training and sim traninig phase.

[aviatation mentor]

expecting to make money as a usual first officer in 7~8 years once you join the Ground school of this program. even before covid it tooks 5~6years until completing 1500hrs

[Garfie10]

hello everyone,

What are your current views on the alpha cadet programme for Air Arabia. Can some senior pilots please comment on this as now aviation demand is picking up?

[Fawa2003]

I read about them, they seems to be expensive, After training is the job guaranteed?
I have friends who advised me to go to do the training in Europe or America and not to go through them.

[pfvspnf]

Rip off , don’t do it