The CAA and NZ Qualifications Authority (NZQA) visited the site last month following safety concerns raised through anonymous reporting, and the academy’s fleet has been grounded since May 23.
In a statement to the Chronicle on Wednesday, a CAA spokesperson said it was continuing to work through the next steps with NZICPA.
“We won’t be providing any further comment at this time, but we can provide general information on what a suspension means,” they said.
“When an organisation has their Part 141 certification suspended, they cannot operate as an approved Aviation Training Organisation to carry out the training courses listed on the schedule of conditions while the suspension is in place.”
A joint statement from the Whanganui District Council and NZICPA on Tuesday said the academy was working with urgency to meet conditions established by the CAA, including specific conditions attached to each aircraft.
“Academy chief executive Gerard Glanville has tendered his resignation and this has been accepted by the board,” it said.
In the statement, Doyle said discussions with a potential new chief executive were progressing well.
“We are now focused on supporting students and staff through this disruption,” he said.
“A student support plan has been formulated and shared with NZQA to ensure student welfare is prioritised.”
Doyle said the board was “acutely aware” of the stress on students and the importance of acting quickly to minimise disruption to their training programmes.
On May 31, students were informed that chief flying instructor Jacob Booth was no longer with the academy, with deputies Rob McGechan and Preeti Sinha serving as acting chief flying instructors.
NZICPA directors Phil Jacques and Jonathan Cameron resigned on May 23 and May 27, respectively.
Academy trainee pilot Shahad Parammal told the Chronicle this week that Sinha remained as acting chief instructor and McGechan had returned to the deputy role.
Students remained in the dark about what came next for them, Parammal said.
“In my own case, I was three days away from completing my final SEIR [Single Engine Instrument Rating] flight test when operations collapsed.
“I’ve left behind my wife and child in India, and have extended my stay far beyond the originally promised 15 months. It’s now nearing 23 months."
He said students were trying to stay active by playing cricket and badminton, and attending peer meetups, “to remain emotionally stable in this uncertain period”.
“We have requested the management to allocate funds for such wellness activities”.
The Chronicle reported last week that about 20% of the students had returned home, but the academy would co-ordinate with them to return when it understood the investigation’s implications.
In 2023, NZICPA signed a deal with Indian airline IndiGo to train 200 students through to December next year.
There are about 140 students at the academy, with 108 part of the IndiGo programme.
In the joint statement, Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said he was pleased with progress and the timeframes agreed.
“Our priority here is the safety and wellbeing of staff and students at NZICPA and to ensure the long-term interests of ratepayers are protected,” he said.
The academy is paying for students’ food and accommodation until the date a student resumes flight training.
Glanville told the Chronicle last week those expenses would be covered from cashflow in the academy business, not from a $10.3 million funding package approved by the council in 2023.
He could not be reached for comment on his resignation.
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.
