Manalos aviation cadet program gets support from Lae City Authority

The Manalos Aviation Cadet Pilot Training Program has received its first direct support, with the Lae City Authority presenting K500,000 to help train young pilots from Lae.

Lae City Authority Chief Executive Officer Robin Calistus presented the cheque on Thursday on behalf of Lae City Authority Chairman John Rosso.

In presenting the cheque, Mr Calistus said the funding reflected the commitment of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Lae City Authority to supporting education, skills development, and opportunities for young Papua New Guineans in Lae.

“This cheque of K500,000, on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister, Member for Lae and Chairman of the Lae City Authority, will support and help the Manalos Aviation in the cadet training programs,” Calistus said.

Manalos Aviation CEO Jurgen Ruh welcomed the support, describing it as the first time a government has directly assisted the institution’s pilot training efforts.

“This is the first time the PNG Government, or any government, has come forward to support us through pilot training. We have received support from the Lae City Authority and we are very thankful,” Ruh said.

He said financial challenges had previously slowed down the training of pilots and engineers, but the funding would now help increase training opportunities for more students.

“In the past, we had to conduct training at a slower pace due to cash flow challenges. With the support from the Lae City Authority, this funding will help us double and even triple our efforts to train more students in Lae at a faster rate. It means a lot to know that someone is supporting us,” he said.

Mr Ruh said the support would also benefit the country by helping train more Papua New Guineans in aviation.

“By helping us, you are helping Lae and the country. I have been training Papua New Guineans for 11 years and this is the first time I have received such support from the Government, especially the Lae District. Thank you very much, and hopefully other people will do the same,” he said.

The program has also reached another milestone with two female graduates from the Papua New Guinea University of Technology joining the cadet pilot training program.

Angela Wycliffe, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, and Shiloh Tugula, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics majoring in Electronic Instrumentation, are the first female participants in the cadet pilot program.

Both will begin training in July, starting with a course to obtain a private helicopter licence. The training will include aviation theory before progressing into commercial flight training towards full pilot certification.

Their inclusion marks an important step forward for women in aviation and highlights growing opportunities for female participation in Papua New Guinea’s aviation industry.

More young people from Lae are expected to join the cadet pilot training program in the future, provided they meet the requirements set by Manalos Aviation, like the first two young women, Shiloh and Angela.

The cadet pilot training program is fully funded by the taxpayers of Lae.