Career opportunities set to soar with new aviation partnership

Opportunities continue to present themselves for CQUniversity aviation students with a new partnership established in Cairns that will provide pilot pathways to aviation graduates.

Announced in the lead-up to the Cairns Aviation Careers Day on Sunday' the new agreement' signed between CQUniversity and Skytrans Airlines' will provide a direct pathway for aviation graduates to have an opportunity to apply directly to Skytrans for a job.

"In principle' the graduate pilot pathways partnership with Skytrans Airlines will provide our Bachelor of Aviation (Flight Operations) and Graduate Diploma of Aviation (Flight Operations) students with a chance to find possible employment after they have graduated - providing that they meet certain requirements'" CQUniversity Head of Aviation' Professor Doug Drury said.

"The pilots will start out flying a Cessna Caravan and then after acquiring enough flight hours they will transition as a First Officer onto a Skytrans Airline Dash 8 Regional Turboprop'" Prof. Drury explained.

Queensland-owned and Cairns-based Skytrans Airlines' services thousands of passengers per year and has transported almost 300'000 kilos of freight in the last year alone.

CEO Alan Milne said he was thrilled to partner with CQUniversity to deliver the pilot pathway.

"Skytrans is proud to be part of this program that will deliver a real career pathway for CQU graduates'" Mr Milne said.

"As a high-capacity operator' Skytrans will provide these pilots training that is consistent with the major airlines in Australia. The network that Skytrans operates will see these pilots operating in some of the most pristine environments on the planet.

"Servicing the communities of Cape York' the Torres Strait islands and the Whitsunday Coast' Skytrans is part of the family in this region."

Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology Professor Steve Hall said CQU had a longstanding relationship with Skytrans.

"We are also exploring exciting opportunities in electric and hydrogen fuelled aviation'" Prof. Hall said.

"Building upon a partnership in Townsville' our Cairns students now also have the opportunity to train with Skytrans."