MUSCAT: National carrier Oman Air issued a statement on Tuesday addressing the status of a group of Omani trainee pilots who have been the subject of recent online discussions.
According to the state-owned carrier, 86 Omani nationals were enrolled into a 24-month programme at the Oman Aviation Academy. This programme aimed to train them for a commercial aviation licence (EASA CPLI/IR) specifically for Boeing 737 aircraft. However, Oman Air emphasised that participation in the programme did not guarantee employment with the airline upon completion.
"The agreement did not obligate the company to appoint them after their training, regardless of successful completion," Oman Air emphasised in its statement.
Of the 86 trainee pilots, 34 candidates successfully graduated from the programme, with the remaining 52 continuing their studies at the Academy.
Recently, in line with its commitment to fostering Omani talent in the aviation sector, Oman Air said it had signed employment contracts with 21 of the 34 graduates. These new hires will begin as trainees and may be offered permanent positions with Oman Air or another airline in the future, it noted.
"The company welcomes the remaining 13 graduates to join the Oman Air team alongside their colleagues," the airline further stated in its clarification.
However, a source that the Observer contacted disputed some of the assertions of Oman Air saying that the contract explicitly stated a ‘training coupled with employment’ arrangement, with provisions for direct employment upon successful completion of training.
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