Fully Funded Pilot Training Opens for 2025

British Airways and Skyborne Airline Academy have opened applications for the 2025 Speedbird Pilot Academy.

The multi-million-pound training initiative, launched in 2023, offers aspiring pilots of all backgrounds a fully-funded path to the flight deck with British Airways. Successful candidates will undergo a joint selection process with BA and Skyborne, before training at the academy’s facilities in the UK and the United States.

Upon completion of the UK CAA Integrated ATPL course, graduates will secure positions as First Officers with BA.

Lee Woodward, CEO, Skyborne, says: “As BA’s official UK partner, Skyborne is proud to lead the industry in removing financial barriers to entry. As a beneficiary of a funded programme myself, it is incredibly rewarding to offer another year of fully-funded flight training with Speedbird. BA’s continued investment is testament to our shared commitment in making pilot training accessible for all.”

The scheme saw more than 20,000 applicants in its first year. Among them was Josh Bates, who is currently completing his single-engine phase of flight training with Skyborne in Vero Beach, Florida.

“Working so closely with the people at the heart of Skyborne truly helps maximise my potential and exceed my own expectations.”

Applicants must be aged between 18-55, with six GCSEs at grade A-C or 5-9, including Maths, English and Science, or an equivalent qualification. The application period for the Speedbird Pilot Academy will remain open for a minimum of one week.