Today the opening ceremony of Aeroflot aviation school took place in Aeroflot's office center in Melkisarovo. According to company's information, it is one of Aeroflot's key projects. AEX.ru

Aeroflot aviation school is a non-state educational establishment created on behalf of Aeroflot and the whole Russian civil aviation. The main project's principle is effective partnership between business and state for solving national problems.

The new educational establishment will provide education on 120 aviation specialties. The main purpose of this school is to meet the industry's requirements for flight personnel.

The school accepts people younger than 35 years with higher technical or air-technical education. Pilot's curriculum consists of two phases:
- 1st phase - 1.5 years of education in Ulyanovsk Higher Civil Aviation School to receive additional professional education in "aircraft flight operation" specialty;
- 2nd phase - 6 months of education in Aeroflot aviation school on a contractual basis. After that students receive Commercial Pilot License - CPL (MPL).

The aviation school uses modern methodology and equipment. One of its main advantages is preparing the pilots for using certain aircraft (at present the school uses A320, but it is planned to use other jets in prospect including Sukhoi SuperJet-100).
The school will also carry out a basic training of flight attendants.

Admission of students to the aviation school has already been started and it will take place every quarter of the year. Every student signs a contract with Aeroflot. According to the contract the student is obliged to seek employment in Aeroflot after finishing his education and gradually return funds spent on his education to the company. The training cost is about $27000. The graduating students will be obliged to work in Aeroflot for 5 years.

The planned number of graduates is 160 pilots (or 80 crews) annually. Later the students will undergo training not only for Aeroflot but also for other airlines.

"Aeroflot has chosen an innovative way of development as the only one possible for the major international airline, - said Vitaliy Savelyev, CEO of Aeroflot. - Creation of company's own aviation school, which uses innovations widely and teaches innovative approaches, is a very important step for us ".

Mr. Savelyev has also added that Aeroflot plans to train pilots for the needs of other airlines after 2013. According to Vitaliy Savelyev, at present the company spends about $14 million on pilot training annually. Thanks to the opening of aviation school the company will be able to optimize these costs.

Stanislav Tulsky has been named the director of the aviation school.