The council announced this morning that the New Zealand Airline Academy had been approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority through the National Trade Academy, a registered private training establishment, based in Christchurch, which had subcontracted The New Zealand Airline Academy to train an initial intake of about 20 trainee pilots.
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said he was "very pleased'' the airline academy chose the Waitaki district.
"This training facility is brand new and its directors see our district as the best place to kick-start their operation. As there'll be a significant number of trainees and staff living and learning here, this is a win-win for everyone.
"The school will be a significant economic boost for Waitaki.''
Council chief executive Fergus Power said each trainee would add an estimated $20,000 each to Oamaru's economy while living in the district for up to a year.
The cost of the course would be about $66,000.
"Clearly, this was a tremendous opportunity for our community and we pursued it. Deep attention to the needs of the incoming business meant that they came to the conclusion that the Waitaki district was the best district in New Zealand for them to commence their operation,'' Mr Power said in a statement.
National Trade Academy managing director Craig Musson said operations would begin this month.
