To meet the needs of an industry primed for exponential growth, ATP Flight School has increased airline pilot training operations in Jacksonville, Florida, with a newly opened 3,000-square-foot expansion at Jacksonville Executive Airport at Craig (KCRG).
The Jacksonville Executive training center is one of the busiest in ATP’s nationwide network of more than 50 locations, with students at Jacksonville flying over 10,000 hours in 2020, according to company officials.
The expansion doubles ATP’s operational footprint at the airport and comes ahead of unprecedented demand for airline pilots, officials said. Mandatory airline pilot retirements combined with COVID-related early retirements are expected to outpace the current capabilities of the training industry, they note, adding ATP is rapidly increasing capacity in Jacksonville to accommodate this growth.
Students at the new facility will utilize more than 5,400 square feet of classrooms, study areas, briefing rooms, and simulator space in ATP’s accelerated Airline Career Pilot Program. Fast track students can go from zero experience to commercial pilot in just nine months, according to company officials. College students can train on a flexible 18-month timeline while attending any one of Jacksonville’s colleges.
The delivery of 25 new Piper Archers will complement the training center expansion and build ATP’s training capabilities throughout 2021, officials noted. An 18,350 square foot maintenance center cares for the fleet and serves as a hub for ATP’s 14 other maintenance bases across the country.