Flight attendant preparatory course available in Kuching

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LEARN TO FLY: Tan with a brochure on FAPC.

KUCHING: If you’ve dreamed about flying around the world as part of the airborne service industry, a golden opportunity has just become available right here in Kuching.

Inter-Excel Advisory’s Flight Attendant Preparatory Course (FAPC) will be launched next Monday (March 19) at its Kuching centre based at English Language Academy (ELA), Green Heights Commercial Centre.

According to ELA principal Anna Tan, budget airlines prefer to hire ready-trained cabin crew to save money on in-house training.

“The most important thing is that we provide job placement,” she told The Borneo Post yesterday. “We will arrange interviews with various airlines after they finish the course.”

Tan said there are instances when FAPC graduates do not pass the first interview they go for, but this is nothing to worry about.

“There are many budget airlines that Inter-Excel Advisory can arrange interviews with, and they have different criteria for their cabin crew,” she said, citing an example that some airlines accept slightly shorter flight attendants.

In the rare worse case scenario, the graduate gets referred to be a ground staff.

“The salary scale is the same. They just don’t get the allowance given to cabin crew,” Tan said.

There are currently 10 enrolments for FAPC, which begins March 19.

The course prepares highly trained candidates for a career in the local and global airline industry. The comprehensive module includes character building, image makeover, professional resume and cover letter writing, communication skills, airline terminology, airline interior and safety.

Candidates will also be trained on their in-flight responsibilities, basic first aid, and dealing with passengers.

Those interested in enrolling in FAPC must be between 17 and 29 years old, be at least 157cm for females and 165cm for males, and have either an SMP, UEC or diploma qualification. Candidates must also be proficient in English.

FAPC is looking for those with good eyesight (correctable with contact lenses), good grooming with no scars or tattoos, and with good attitude, pleasant and outgoing personality.

As the pioneer Airline Training and Placement Centre in Asia, Inter-Excel Advisory has organised more than 200 Cabin Crew and Aviation Recruitment interviews for Royal Brunei Airlines, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Kuwait Airways, Sudan Airways, Etihad Airways, Royal Jordanian, Gulf Air, Air Asia and Sama Airlines.

English Language Academy (ELA) is also the sole representative for International Aviation Centre – IAC Aerotech Sdn Bhd, which also enrols students for airline pilot training and aircraft engineering in one of the six different aviation schools on its list.

IAC Director Kumar Rajagopal was present yesterday to deliver a talk on the various options available to around 30 prospective students and their parents.

According to Tan, the popular options for pilot training is Asian Institute of Aviation (AIA) in Subic, Philippines, while budding aircraft engineers choose Taeco Training Centre in Xiamen, China.

“These options are popular because the fee structure is affordable and the duration of the course is more reasonable,” she said.

She added that aircraft engineers who graduate from Taeco can come back and work as a junior engineer for two years and complete their logbook before applying for their European Aviation Safety Association (EASA) Senior Aircraft Engineer Licence.

For pilots who train with AIA, they have three choices exclusive to their school upon completion of their course.

The first is to fly charter flights or cargo planes in the Philippines.

The second option is to become a first officer with Garuda Airlines, which will only accept AIA graduates for this position.

The third is to teach student pilots at AIA.

These pathways will help them rake up an additional 300 flying hours to meet the 500 flying hours required by the Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) before they can return home to work.

Again, Tan stressed that IAC is unique in the sense that it will assist with job placement for pilots or aircraft engineers who enrol with its affiliate aviation centres through IAC.

IAC is also affiliated with Basair Aviation College in Sydney, Australia, and HM Aerospace in Langkawi for pilot training.

For aircraft engineering, their affiliates include Aviation Australia in Brisbane, Queensland, and City of Bristol College in the UK.