Demand grows for Airways Study Abroad programme

Twelve students from two civil aviation universities in China have travelled to New Zealand to begin their studies in the sought-after Airways Air Traffic Control “Study Abroad” programme.

The Civil Aviation University of China (CAUC) and the Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC) have sent students to attend the Airways New Zealand programme which started on 10 February.

The Airways Study Abroad programme has grown in popularity since the first intake of CAUC students two years ago, with registrations of interest from ATC training universities around the world.

Sharon Cooke, Airways’ Head of Training, says the programme has been cleverly designed to meet the needs of students from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

“We’ve designed the scheduling to ensure the programme matches students’ own semesters, and students have the option to attend classes at nearby Massey University to make up the credits they require in subjects other than ATC at the same time,” she explains.

“Our low teacher to student ratios and excellent standard of training makes the Study Abroad programme a highly desirable option for international students,” says Ms Cooke.

The intensive ATC basic training provided in the Study Abroad programme is usually undertaken by students in the third year of their Air Traffic Management degree, although the programme is adapted to meet the needs of different groups. The students are supported by Airways as they experience living and studying in New Zealand.

“We’ve seen demand for the programme amplify following the successes of the first group of CAUC students,” says Ms Cooke. “Students graduating with Airways experience benefit from quality training and significant improvement in their IELTS scores, which substantially aids their employment and remuneration prospects,” she adds.

The 24-week programme provides students with the opportunity to use Airways’ state-of-the-art training technologies including the 4D Total Control simulator.