Gareth Johnson
Phnom Penh-based Novation Academy, an “advanced aviation training facility” is now accepting applications for people wishing to gain a commercial pilot’s license in Cambodia.
Novation Academy which was launched last year offers customers the chance to get a private pilot’s license, assistance with buying and storing planes, as well as even the chance to “co-own” a plane. Their main aim though and indeed business model is to train the next generation of commercial pilots, an area where the region is now drastically lacking personnel.
Read more: Novation Academy aims to turn Cambodia into flight training hub
The fully licensed flight school will be doing this from their centrally located academy in Phnom Penh complete with their state-of-the-art flight simulation system, which according to Chief Training Officer Captain Eugene Zakharankau could be set up to take off “from any airport in the world, as well as mimic various weather and dangerous situations as part of the training”.
It was this same simulation experience that this Cambodia Investment Review reporter was even able to test, being granted the opportunity to take off from Phnom Penh International Airport, and despite veering into “restricted” airspace I did “pretty good” according to Captain Eugene.
Yet while the simulator had elements of driving a car, it was not set up as an alternative to flying, with one of the main factors for its importance is learning how to use the controls, with Captain Eugene further explaining: “The kit that is used has changed a lot. What our simulator does is train pilots on how to use flying equipment”.
Formal training, however, will involve more than a simulator with lessons flying in the Novation Academy Magnus Fusion plane, as well as future opportunities with realistic Virtual Reality sets that will mimic the real experience more authentically.
The cost of a commercial pilot’s license in Cambodia
According to Kirill Bratchenko Managing Director of Novation Academy: “It takes 800 hours of theory and 200 hours of flight time of between 14 months to 2 years to qualify for your commercial pilot’s license.”
The cost for this is around $80,000, as opposed to a private license, which costs around $20,000. Yet while this might sound like a lot of money, not only was it extremely competitive for the region, but essentially a university degree would lead to a lucrative career.
Read more: How to Obtain a Private Pilot License in Cambodia
Cambodia of course is not the only country in the region to offer commercial licenses, but it is currently one of the cheapest. Other ASEAN countries range from $80,000 in Vietnam and the Philippines to around $120,000 in Singapore, all of which take the same time to complete.
A major advantage that Cambodia has though over its neighbors is not just the cost of the license, but also the cost of living. Quite simply the Kingdom is cheaper to live in than other countries in the region, which not only benefits local people but according to Kirill also: “attracts an international clientele, both for the quality of the product, as well as the lure of doing spending less money to get the license”.
Another factor that also helps with the allure of Cambodia is the relatively open skies of the country, compared to for example Vietnam, where pilots are required to travel abroad to complete their practical training, which consists of at least 200 hours.
A lucrative career as a commercial pilot
Of course, the end game for the license though is getting it and embarking on a career as a pilot. Primarily this means flying for an airline, with the advantage of getting it through Novation instead of directly through an airline being that pilots are free to pick their employer, rather than being tied for time to the airline.
Getting a commercial license though would far from restrict pilots from flying with airlines, with private plane ownership also going up and thus the need for private commercial pilots. The potentially lucrative career with pilots on average earning $50,000 to $200,000 a year on regional airlines, and $100,000 to $400,000 per year for a major airline, not to mention the travel perks and indeed kudos of such a career.
Time wise the business and indeed learners will find themselves in the right place at the right time, with Covid having decimated available pilots. It is estimated that globally around 360,000 pilots are needed to fill positions, 200,000 of which are needed for Asia alone.
There was also a local component to it as well with Kirill finally adding: “currently local airlines hire foreign pilots because they are the only ones available. We want to train the next generation of Khmer pilots for Khmer airlines too”.
