Porcella reaffirms Idac commitment to operational safety and training of human talent
Santo Domingo.The growth of commercial aviation currently registered in the Dominican Republic, in addition to demanding a systematic effort to guarantee operational safety in air traffic, also requires the training of human talent and specialized technical resources, including the training of 300 new pilots in the next 5 years.
This was stated by the general director of the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation Idac, Héctor Porcella, when participating in a training session for several young people in the “I want to be a pilot” contest, which seeks to stimulate the interest of youth in the study of that career, considered one of the most best paid in the world.
Porcella explained that the International Civil Aviation Organization Icao has estimated that in the next 20 years this industry will demand 500,000 new pilots to respond to the global expansion of the sector, and highlighted that the strengthening of operational safety and the training of human talent through the Higher Academy of Aeronautical Sciences Asca, top the Idac priority list.
The contest, organized under the executive production of the newspaper El Nuevo Diario with the support of IDAC and other entities, called for its first launch to 173 young people of both sexes, between 18 and 30 years old, who underwent a rigorous selection process, to participate in a final round that must choose a first winner and eventually other deserving participants.
The journalist and air traffic controller Olga Pérez, who created and co-produces the event, explained that the main objective of the contest is to motivate the interest of the country’s young people in the career and at the same time to create awareness in public and private sectors about the need to materially support the training of essential talent for the development of civil aviation, a key sector for tourism, commerce and the population in general.
She indicated that the training program for an aviator is extremely demanding and expensive, which is why it is only available to a small segment of youth, limiting the possibility that the country can provide the human resources that commercial aviation demands.
The career of an aviator pilot up to the category of commercial pilot costs more than 50 thousand dollars, and the majority of participants do not have the necessary income to pay for their studies, and it is difficult for them to obtain financing, since being very young they do not have with credit history.
Porcella’s meeting with the preselected young people occurred during a break from his training in an Asca flight simulator, where he declared his interest in continuing to support the initiative beyond the current edition of the contest. He was accompanied by the director of the Asca, Clara Fernández and the communication director of the Idac, Luis José Chávez.
The “I want to be a pilot 2023” contest, organized by Editora El Nuevo Diario, has the collaboration of the IDAC, the Higher Academy of Aeronautical Sciences, the Permanent Representation of the Dominican Republic to the International Civil Aviation Organization Icao, in Canada, Aerodom powered by Vinci Airports, Sky High Dominicana, Servair, Terpel, Social Policy Cabinet, Government Office of Information and Communication Technologies Ogtic, Presidential Innovation Cabinet, Barrick Gold Corporation, the Latin Aeronautical Academy Aerolatina, Aeronautical Training Center of the Americas Enalas, Zoilo Hermógenes García Aeronautical Training Zoherga, Dominican American Cultural Institute, AFP Crecer and Finotex.