| James Kon |
AMIR Yaziid Hakim bin Mohammad Adam and Muhammad Zulhilmi bin Ali will soon embark on new chapters in their lives as trainee pilots for Royal Brunei Airlines (RB), following a signing ceremony to join the 49th intake of RB Cadet Pilot Programme yesterday.
Signing on behalf of RB were Karam Chand, Chief Executive Officer of RB; Zlatko Sirac, Executive General Manager of RB Operations; and Kurt Harding, Executive General Manager of People and Performance of RB.
RB currently has a 73 per cent local workforce among its 138 pilot personnel, with 34 local captains and 67 local first officers.
In his welcoming remarks, Karam Chand said, “Through the joint efforts of the company and the cadets, this programme has been a major success.”
He also added that RB, as a big corporation, is supportive of government schemes such as the i-Ready apprenticeship programme, to provide skill training for the country’s future human resources.
In the coming months, he said, “It will be an exciting journey for RB, as we will take delivery of our first A320neo aircraft. With the deliveries, our cadet pilots will be pleased to know that RB will have one of the youngest and modern fleets in Asia.”
Meanwhile, for Amir Yaziid Hakim, whose previous applications in 2015 and 2016 were unsuccessful, his acceptance into RB’s Cadet Pilot Programme was a dream come true.
The third time was a charm, with him being one of two selected from 500 applicants.
The 20-year-old, who gave up his studies at Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) in order to pursue his dream, told the Bulletin, “I never thought that I would be able to achieve my goal of becoming a pilot. I am so grateful for everything in my life, which has led me here.”
On the selection process, he said, “This is my third application for the Cadet Pilot Programme. During my first attempt in 2015, I didn’t make it through the assessment stage. Last year, I managed to get through the assessment stage, but I didn’t pass the final interview.”
He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity, saying, “I will do my best to give back to RB, as well as to the country, in the future.”
For Muhammad Zulhilmi, it was his awe at pilots and airplanes which inspired him to join the Cadet Pilot Programme.
The 27-year-old Bachelor’s degree holder in Biological Science from Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) said, “I am really thrilled and excited about the challenges that I will be facing in the programme. When I completed the course, I hope to return to serve RB and the country.”
He conveyed his thanks to RB, as well as to his parents for their support, saying, “This is a great opportunity to become a pilot.”
The Cadet Pilot Programme will commence training on October 16, with RB’s training partner, CTC Aviation, in New Zealand.
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