A NEW flying school that promised to help its students find jobs in the airline industry opened in Lapu-Lapu City last week.
The All Asia Aviation Academy expanded its operations to Cebu in response to its growing number of students, said Sadayoshi Kurachi, the school’s chief financial officer.
“We need to expand and Cebu is an appropriate place for training,” he said during the school’s inauguration last Feb. 21.
The school started its operations in Iba, Zambales in 2008.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by the school’s founder Toru Maeda, school director Capt. Carlos Alves, Mactan Cebu International Airport and Authority general Manager Nigel Paul Villarete, Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy and Tagbilaran, Bohol Mayor Dan Lim.
Alves said the school started with a few students. Now they have 60 enrollees. “With our new school in Cebu, we hope to attract students from the Visayas and Mindanao areas,” he said.
The school is located within the MCIA.
Villarete said he is looking forward to a good landlord-tenant relationship between the airport and the school.
He noted the great contribution of Japanese investments to the country. “We welcome
more Japanese investments in Cebu,” he said.
Kurachi said their students come from different countries, including India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Japan.
Masaki Iwani, school marketing director, said their students will train for eight months in their school in Zambales and three months in Cebu.
Iwani said they opened a facility in Cebu because of the congested air traffic in Manila, where they conduct part of the pilot training.
Kurachi said the school has tie-ups with airline companies to secure jobs for their students.
“We want to send pilots to the world,” he said.