LIMERICK trainees are among the 80 Irish students who may have lost up to €85,000 apiece with the ending of a pilot training course in Florida.
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has sent personnel to the Florida Institute of Technology Aviation and the Waterford-based Pilot Training Centre,
where it is understood the students paid the fees for courses to be delivered in the United States.
Reports emerged yesterday of students, including Limerick trainee pilots who have been left stranded after being told that their course in the US is discontinued.
The Waterford training centre, which enjoys an excellent reputation in aviation circles, was not contractible yesterday for comment on whether or not the contract with the Florida Centre has been terminated.
Sources close to the situation told the Limerick Post that while they could not confirm how many Limerick students are involved “it is fair to say there are definitely a number”.
It is understood that a number of the students are stranded and others are facing eviction from their accommodation in the coming days. Some are also coming to the end of their visas.
According to a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs, there had been no request at time of going to press for its assistance.
It is believed that the students were at various stages of training for professional pilot’s examinations and the IAA is today trying to see if they can continue their training either in Florida or at home.
When contacted by the Limerick Post, the IAA said that fees in excess of €80,000 are not unusual in the field of pilot training.
Meanwhile, Deputy Willie O’Dea has plans to raise the issue in Dail question time today to see what can be done.
“This is a terrible situation for people who have made a huge investment in their training. I will be pushing to see how they can be helped,” he told the Limerick Post.
According to the IAA spokesperson the authority “will endeavour to facilitate the crediting of all flight and ground training carried out so far in Florida towards qualifications”.
Captain Kieran O’Connor, of the National Flight Training Centre in Dublin, one of Europe’s largest training centres, held out some hope for the Limerick students when contacted by the Limerick Post yesterday.
“We feel terribly sorry for all the students involved. They have been badly compromised.
“If they make contact with us at the training centre , we’ll do whatever we can to help”.
