The academy's fleet is "undergoing a comprehensive airworthiness review". Photo / NZME
The academy's fleet is "undergoing a comprehensive airworthiness review". Photo / NZME
The chief flying instructor at the New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy in Whanganui has resigned, along with two of its directors.
In an email to students on May 31, academy (NZICPA) chief executive Gerard Glanville said chief flying instructor Jacob Booth was no longer with the organisation, and deputychief instructors Rob McGechan and Preeti Sinha were now acting chief flying instructors.
According to the Companies Register, NZICPA directors Phil Jacques and Jonathan Cameron resigned on May 23 and May 27 respectively.
Jacques began as director on January 30 and Cameron began on February 19.
Matthew Doyle remains as board chairman, with Craig Compain as a director.
“There is too much moving at the moment and a two-member board is okay,” she said.
“Matt has a lot of experience and Craig is excellent as well. He brings a fresh pair of eyes and has fantastic aviation sector experience.
“Obviously, they are supporting Gerard through some challenging issues.”
Last week, the Chronicle reported the academy’s fleet had been grounded by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which was investigating safety concerns.
The NZ Qualifications Authority (NZQA) also launched its own investigation into the quality of training.
Glanville’s email to students also said “our current training fleet is undergoing a comprehensive airworthiness review”.
“This process is essential to ensuring the safety and compliance of our aircraft, but it will take time and may require remedial work to be completed on some aircraft.”
Glanville told the Chronicle on May 25that theCAA chose to investigate after concerns were raised through “anonymous reporting”.
In a statement to the Chronicle this week, NZQA deputy chief executive of quality assurance Eve McMahon said it had met with academy staff and students, and visited its accommodation sites.
Carolyn van Leuven says the departing board members will not be immediately replaced.
She said “a considerable amount of information” had been collected.
“We are now reviewing this information and the next steps will depend on what we find.”
McMahon said NZICPA had co-operated with the investigation and provided all information requested so far.
However, NZQA invited more students to participate in a meeting than the academy had proposed, she said.
“We also provided contact details for learners to contact us confidentially, and we continue to encourage learners to make contact using those details.”
There are about 140 students at NZICPA, most from Indian airline IndiGo.
In 2023, the academy signed a deal with IndiGo to train 200 students through to December 2026.
In a statement, a CAA spokesperson said the authority was not currently on-site at NZICPA but the academy’s planes remained grounded for safety reasons.
The CAA was assessing the information collected and was in the process of determining the appropriate next steps.
“We are working as quickly as possible to make informed decisions that prioritise safety.”
Glanville’s May 31 email said NZICPA was working to lease additional aircraft and aimed to resume flight training within the next seven to 10 days.
“As we progress through the review and gain assurance regarding individual aircraft, students can expect to see a gradual increase in flight training activity.”
Ground training would continue as scheduled, it said.
Glanville, Booth and Doyle could not be reached for comment.
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
