What happened
flydubai has chosen two outside flight schools, Egnatia Aviation and Skyborne Airline Academy, to deliver flight instruction for the first intakes of its Ab Initio Pilot Training Programme. The airline announced the partnership on 18 September 2026, as reported by Khaleej Aviation on 7 October.
Cadets work towards a Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL). Graduates are meant to move straight into line training and join flydubai as first officers.
Who does what
The two schools split the work. According to the report:
- Egnatia's courses are approved by both the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and EASA.
- Skyborne, also GCAA-certified, said it would draw cadets from Australia, North America, New Zealand and South Africa.
- flydubai said the arrangement gives trainees access to instructors and facilities in Europe and the US.
Why the airline is doing it
flydubai is building a home-grown pilot pipeline for a growing fleet; the carrier has more than 300 aircraft on order. Chief executive Ghaith Al Ghaith described the deal as part of building capability for the airline's long-term expansion.
What this means if you're training
An MPL is different from the traditional route. Instead of building single-pilot hours first, you train for airline crew operations from the start, tied to one operator. That can be a faster path into a right-hand seat, but your licence is built around that airline's operation, so it suits people who are confident they want that specific job.
If you're comparing routes, ask any tied scheme how selection works, who pays for what, and what happens if you don't complete training or the airline's needs change.
Sources
Khaleej Aviation, "Flydubai Picks Egnatia and Skyborne to Train First Ab Initio Cadets", 7 October 2026: https://khaleejaviation.com/flydubai-egnatia-skyborne-ab-initio-cadets/