The Mangōpare Air New Zealand Pilot Cadetship

What documents are required for the application (i.e., CV, cover letter)?

• Please provide us with a copy of your CV and your New Zealand Record of Achievement (NZRoA) or equivalent. There is also the option to upload any qualifications and/or other achievement awards (if applicable).
• For your CV, please include information about yourself such as your full name, contact details (phone and email), education history, employment history, any extra-curricular activities, volunteer experience, academic and/or other awards, licences or accreditations. Please note should you be successful further in the selection process you will be required to provide details of two referees.

How long will it take to hear back after applying? Will I be able to check the progress of my application throughout the process?

• Applications close on the 8th of July 2024. You will receive confirmation via email that your application has been received. Following this, you will receive regular emails updating you on how you are progressing through to the different stages of the selection process.

Why am I being asked to provide personal details like my date of birth, gender and ethnicity? How will this information be used?

• Successful teams are diverse teams – diverse in experience, education, ethnicity, gender and thought. By capturing this information, we can better understand the diversity of the talent we attract and ensure we are reaching people with identities and perspectives as varied as our customer base. While we strive to attract a diverse range of applicants, it is important to note that only those who meet the necessary qualifications will be considered. These questions are optional and are used for statistical purposes only.
• The exception to this is your date of birth which is being asked to confirm that you will be aged 18 years or older by the time the last cohort starts, a mandatory requirement to be able to be accepted into the Cadetship.

What are the medical requirements to apply for the Cadetship?

• The Cadetship is conditional on you being declared medically fit and able to maintain a New Zealand CAA Class 1 medical and US FAA Class 3 Medical Exam.

What if I haven’t yet completed secondary school education? Can I still apply?

• You must have achieved NCEA Level 2 with Merit or B Grade and above for Cambridge International AS Level in order to apply for the Cadetship. Although not a specific requirement, the Cadetship has strong requirements for maths and science and it is recommended that applicants have completed these subjects at a year 12 or AS level.

What if I haven’t graduated my tertiary education yet? What do I put as my highest level of education?

• Please choose the option of the highest level of education that you have completed for this question. There is the option to put any other education that you are currently undertaking further in the online application and also in your CV.

What if I already hold a pilot’s licence? Can I still apply?

• The Cadetship is designed for someone who has little or no flying experience. It is not applicable to someone who already holds a pilot licence.

What if I haven’t held any leadership positions/done any volunteer work/extra-curricular activities?

• These are not mandatory requirements to be accepted into the Cadetship. If you do not have experience in any of these activities/positions please choose the ‘No’ option. Please continue to list any relevant experience you do have in your CV.

Do I need a NZ Driver’s Licence to become a pilot?

• No, this is not a mandatory requirement to apply for the Cadetship.

Do I need to hold a valid passport?

• If you are accepted into the Cadetship, you will receive training overseas and therefore, will require a valid passport and relevant visas. If you do not currently hold a valid passport you can still apply, it may just mean that if accepted into the Cadetship, you will likely start in one of the later cohorts to enable enough time to apply for a passport. Your visa will be organised once accepted into the Cadetship.

What if I’m not available to start on any of the course cohort start dates?

• There will be 5 cohorts travelling to the United States of America (Phoenix, Arizona) on the Friday before each training commencement date:
  • 30 September 2024
  • 02 December 2024
  • 22 January 2025
  • 19 March 2025
  • 14 May 2025
• Unfortunately, if you are unable to start on any of the course cohort dates it is not recommended that you apply.

What if I’m not 18 years old by the final course cohort start date (12 May 2025)?

• Unfortunately, if you are not 18 years of age by the final course cohort start date you will not be eligible to apply.

Is there an upper age limit to apply for the Cadetship?

• There is no upper age limit to apply for the Cadetship. Provided you meet all other eligibility criteria you may apply.

What are the medical requirements to apply for the Cadetship?

• The Cadetship is conditional on you being declared medically fit and able to maintain a New Zealand CAA Class 1 medical and US FAA Class 3 Medical Exam. For information on New Zealand CAA Class 1 Medical requirements, please click here.

How do I prepare for the interviews?

• The best way to prepare for the interview process is to review your prior educational, work, and other experience and consider how this will best place you to successfully complete the Cadetship and ultimately succeed as a future Air New Zealand Pilot, and what your motivation for wanting to become a pilot is. We recommend reviewing the Air New Zealand website to understand what we value as a company and how we operate to provide a high-quality service to our airline customers.
• When considering potential responses to questions we may ask, we recommend utilizing the CAR (Context, Action, Result) or STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) methods to help structure your responses in a clear and concise manner.

How do I prepare for the online assessments? What are they assessing?

• There is no preparation required for the online assessments. These are mostly game-based.
• The online assessments measure abilities, behaviours, work styles or characteristics required for work.

Are travel and accommodation expenses covered if I need to travel to the interview?

• Support will be made available where applicable and on an individual basis for applicants who progress to the interview stage.

Are travel and accommodation expenses covered within the Cadetship?

• Yes, all travel and accommodation expenses will be covered for applicants who are accepted into the Cadetship.

What certifications / qualifications will I receive at the end of the Cadetship?

• Commercial Pilot Licence (FAA), Instrument Rating, Multi-engine Aircraft Rating and ATR-72-600 Aircraft Type Rating.

What happens if I can’t complete the Cadetship (due to personal reasons)?

• We are eager to have a very high success rate. We do acknowledge unpredicted events happen and we will work with cadets to manage the Cadetship to ensure important personal issues are appropriately supported.

How many people will be on the Cadetship?

• Overall, 30 people will be accepted into the Cadetship. Cadets will train in groups of six (cohorts), with cohorts starting every eight weeks.

Are family and friends allowed to come and stay with me?

• The course is intense and designed to be completed in 12 months. Pastoral care is an important element of the course and family support is important. Family may visit the United States of America (Phoenix, Arizona) and United Arab Emirates (Dubai) at their own cost at designated times throughout the Cadetship, however, the cadet accommodation does not allow for visitors.

Do I get any time off / holidays?

• Yes, cadets will have a two week study break between the flight training phase in the United States of America (Phoenix, Arizona) and the simulator phase in United Arab Emirates (Dubai). Air New Zealand will arrange flights for cadets to return from the US to New Zealand and then back to the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) for the final phase of their training.

Do I get paid a salary?

• All course and necessary living costs are covered by the Cadetship, including a monthly stipend of USD$300 which will be paid to cadets while in the USA. Cadets will not be Air New Zealand employees while they are carrying out their training, and therefore, a salary is not paid.

Will I have to repay any of the training costs that are funded by Air New Zealand?

• The majority of the training costs associated with the Cadetship will be funded directly by Air New Zealand, subject to conditions designed to protect Air New Zealand’s investment in the Cadetship. Up to $150,000 of the Air New Zealand funded costs will be repayable by the cadet if they do not accept an offer of Air New Zealand employment after successfully completing their training, or do not complete at least 5 years’ service at Air New Zealand. Cadets who exit part-way through the training Cadetship may also be required to repay up to $150,000 of the Air New Zealand funded costs.

Am I required to take out a loan with the bank or can I fund directly if I have the means?

• Cadets are welcome to fund some, or all, of their $53,500 portion of the flight Cadetship cost on a personal basis or other funding sources Cadets may have access to.
• Air New Zealand is facilitating the bank funding arrangement specifically to improve accessibility for cadets who don’t have sufficient personal financial means nor access to other funding sources.

What documents are required for the bank loan process?

• Air New Zealand is working with one of the four major NZ/Australasian banks for this Cadetship. If a cadet is not an existing customer of the bank, normal bank on-boarding process will apply, including Anti-Money Laundering and credit checks.
• Cadets will need to complete a bank loan application form. Market-standard supporting information will also be required (bank statements, any existing bank loan or card balances and statements).
• The bank will not require cadets to pledge security because Air New Zealand will guarantee each cadet’s bank loan to the bank.

What will my relationship be with the bank?

• Cadets will have a direct lender / borrower relationship with the bank.
• Cadets will be required to set up a personal banking account with the bank, benefitting from Premium Banking service including access to Premium Managers. Cadets will benefit from six monthly financial reviews with Premium Managers who can handle any personal banking requirements and help them meet their financial goals and ambitions as their careers progress.
• Air New Zealand will not be the lender and does not provide personalised financial advice to cadets. A cadet’s decision to enter into a bank loan with the bank to fund their $53,500 training costs remains each cadet’s own personal decision and should take into account the cadet’s own personal and financial circumstances. Specialised financial advice should be obtained separately, if required.

When do I draw down on the bank loan?

• Cadets need to fund the $53,500 in two, equal instalments, at completion of Private Pilot Licence (PPL) and Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL). These are two major training milestones.

What does the bank loan repayment plan look like?

• Bank loan repayments will be set at 12% of net (post-tax) salary p.a., in line with the New Zealand Government’s student bank loan scheme. Cadets will not be Air New Zealand employees during the training period, so no repayments will be required while they are completing their training. Interest will accrue and capitalise onto the bank loan balance during this time.
• Successful cadets who are offered and accept employment with Air New Zealand, will start repayments when salary payments commence. Interest will also be payable from that date.

Will I be required to physically repay or will repayments be deducted from my salary?

• Cadets will be required to personally make bank loan and interest repayments to the bank in full, similar to a home loan. These repayments will not be deducted from salary.

What interest rates are associated with the bank loan?

• Interest rates remain under negotiation between Air New Zealand and the Bank but are expected to be lower than personal bank loan rates otherwise available to cadets in the market, benefitting from Air New Zealand’s credit-worthiness and financial standing.
• Floating or fixed rates will apply, depending on the cadet’s choice, similar to a home loan. Air New Zealand won’t provide financial advice on interest rate decisions, cadets will be able to discuss these choices with the bank’s Premium Managers.

Can I repay the bank loan early?

• Yes, if feasible and affordable for a cadet. Similar to personal and commercial bank loans available in the market, early bank loan repayments may trigger early repayment adjustment fees (“break costs”). For example, if a cadet opted for a fixed rate of 2 years and made early repayments above a certain threshold, then the cadet may be subject to break costs.

What happens if I leave the aviation industry before I have been able to repay the bank loan?

• Cadets will remain liable to repay the outstanding balance and any accrued interest. The bank loan represents a bilateral contract between the cadet and the bank. While cadets benefit from Air New Zealand underpinning the bank loan, the cadet remains legally liable to the bank.
• Cadets may be able to apply to the bank for a ‘hardship variation’, in the event of an unforeseen event that causes hardship, for example illness or injury.

Please fill out the section below if your question hasn’t been addressed in the FAQs above.