The Swiss-based Partners in Aviation and Communication Technologies (PACTEC) or-ganisation will provide more than US$2 million to train Lao pilots in their home country.
Mr Yakua Lopangkao shakes hands with Mr Gerald Burgeois after signing the memorandum of understanding.
The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), the Civil Aviation Training Centre (CATC) and PACTEC last Friday signed a memorandum of understanding on a pilot training project.
"Graduates from upper secondary schools can learn to fly if they pass a selection round conducted by the Department of Civil Aviation," DCA Director General Mr Yakua Lopangkao said.
The project will run for five years (2011 to 2015) and each year five students will be selected for induction into the programme.
PACTEC is an NGO that provides assistance through flight services, aviation training, communications and computer technology.
The assistance will mean Lao pilots will be trained to satisfy International Civil Aviation Organisation standards in Laos.
Covering a period of three years, the training programme will start with a one-year pre-training course designed to select the most suitable candidates for flight training.
The students with the best aptitude will then enrol in a two-year flight training programme. At the end of their training the young pilots will be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to work for any Lao aviation company.
In line with the breakthrough approach on human resources adopted at the 9th Party Congress, this project will help to develop the capacity of the CACT and train the next generation of Lao aviators.
Previously the CATC had to send pilots for training in China, Thailand, France or New Zealand.
According to the CATC, it costs about US$100,000 to train a single pilot in Thailand.
Vice President and International Director of PACTEC International Mr Gerald Burgeois said that for too long the people of Laos have been relying on other countries to train their pilots.
"This situation prompted PACTEC to offer the DCA and the CATC help in setting up a flight training programme so Lao pilots can be trained in Laos," he said.
PACTEC has also helped the CATC to develop an English language test in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation language proficiency requirements. Classes will prepare trainees for the test and a crew resource management seminar.
PACTEC began teaching at the CATC in January 2004. Over the past seven years PACTEC personnel have taught thousands of hours of general, technical and aviation English language lessons, Mr Burgeois said.
"Once the flight training programme is well established, we also plan on training Lao flight instructors to work with our PACTEC instructors. Eventually we would like to see people from other countries come to Laos to receive pilot training," he added.
