Press Release

Issued by Starlite Aviation Training Academy.

March 22, 2018

Starlite Aviation Training Academy has bidden farewell to the final group of Transnet pilots, aircraft maintenance mechanics and engineers, who completed their pilot and aircraft maintenance training. The gala event, to honour the graduates held on Friday, 16 March, at Starlite's Virginia base was attended by a host of dignitaries; eThekwini deputy mayor, councillor Fawzia Peer and head of international and governance relations, Mr Eric Apelgren, Durban North Ward councillor, Mr Shaun Ryley, Umhlanga councillor, Mr Heinz de Boer, Transnet's acting chief harbour master, Captain Naresh Sewnath and marine aviation manager, Mr Agrippa Mpofu.

In the opening address, deputy mayor, Fawzia Peer, addressed the graduates stating that she was honoured to celebrate their “success and triumph”. She emphasised that the training the graduates undertook could not have been easy, especially in light of the fact that, “Starlite training meets the highest global expectations and standards in the aviation industry, both in the commercial services they offer and the training they provide”. She encouraged them to continue in the same spirit that they have shown, the sacrifices they have made and the sleepless nights endured to ensure their ticket to their next destination.

In her speech, she highlighted the importance of Durban being an Aerotropolis, a purpose-built airport city strategically positioned between major seaports with existing road and rail infrastructure and that the city is on the cusp of becoming South Africa's new gateway to southern Africa. She stated that the Durban Aerotropolis, with King Shaka at its nucleus, will be launched this year with Dube TradePort as the implementing agent and went on to say that eThekwini believes that this will be the catalyst for social, spatial and economic transformation in the region and in turn will hold great prospects for those entering the field of aviation.

She concluded her speech by encouraging the students to take with them the personal competencies that they had gained from their training at Starlite; the passion, commitment, tenacity and open minds, and to nurture these as they will become even more important than what they had learned, as they compete for the best jobs that will be on offer.