United Aviate Academy is now accepting applications

April 14, 2021

Big news: We’re now accepting applications for the first classes at United Aviate Academy .

Last year, we announced that as a part of Aviate, United would become the only major U.S. airline to own and operate a flight training academy. Today, we’re excited to begin accepting applications for United Aviate Academy with a new diversity initiative and plan to have at least 50% of the students be women or people of color.

We’re eager to create opportunities for thousands of women or people of color who are interested and passionate about pursuing a career as a professional airline pilot. With diversity, equity, and inclusion top of mind, we’re committed to diversifying and expanding access to the aviation profession. We expect to train 100 new pilots by the end of the year, with the intention of training 5,000 by 2030.

“Over the next decade, United will train 5,000 pilots who will be guaranteed a job with United, after they complete the requirements of the Aviate program – and our plan is for half of them to be women or people of color.” —United CEO Scott Kirby

Our goal at United Aviate Academy is to develop aspiring pilots into exceptional leaders who display a level of excellence and commitment to providing the safe, caring, dependable and efficient service that United expects from its pilots. Through our intensive curriculum with a heavy focus on safety and instruction, students at United Aviate Academy will be on the right path to a United flight deck.

We also recognize that some of the highest paying careers in our industry often have a high cost of training, creating barriers to entry for highly qualified candidates. In response, we’ve partnered with JPMorgan Chase to co-fund a $2.4 million scholarship program. Additionally, for those United Aviate Academy students who may need other financing, United has partnered with Sallie Mae to offer private student loans to ensure that no highly qualified, highly-motivated, eligible applicants will be turned away solely because they can’t afford to enroll.

We’re working closely with some of our longstanding partners – Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals , Sisters of the Skies , the Latino Pilots Association , and the Professional Asian Pilots Association . These organizations will help us identify candidates and select the qualified applicants to receive the scholarships and grants funded by United and JPMorgan Chase .

We encourage you to learn more about United Aviate Academy , and discover our commitment to increasing diversity within the flight deck.