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Balinese people reluctant to join flight school
Only a few young Balinese are enrolled at a flight school in Buleleng regency, North Bali, despite an increased demand for new pilots, said the head of the flight school
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nly a few young Balinese are enrolled at a flight school in Buleleng regency, North Bali, despite an increased demand for new pilots, said the head of the flight school.
Wiradharma Bagus Oka, director of Bali International Flight Academy in Gerokgak, Buleleng, said young people are reluctant to work in the aviation industry.
“Garuda Indonesia opens positions for 200 pilots every year, not to mention other airline companies,” Bagus Oka said during a signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Flight Academy and the Ganesha University in Singaraja on Wednesday.
“Many people are of the opinion that working as pilot or air crew are still dangerous. They often read about and see flight accidents,” he assumed.
Bagus Oka put it down to misconception, citing the stringent international safety standards that all carriers are bound by.
He admitted that the 12-month course at the academy costs Rp 600 million.
Capt. Hasan Unang, the academy’s head instructor, said becoming a professional pilot had a number of academic and physical skills.
Buleleng regional administration previously awarded four scholarships, but each recipient failed to meet the requirements.
I Nyoman Sudiana, rector of Ganesha University, expected cooperation between the two educational institutions would improve the quality of human resources in the regency.
The Flight Academy currently hires seven foreign flight instructors from the United States, Canada and Australia.
