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Feds invest $3 million to double MRU’s aviation training program
November 27, 2023 By Wings Staff
MRU officials, students, and PrairieCan officials attend the official announcement of the $3 million investment to boost the expansion of Mount Royal University’s pilot and aviation flight training program. Photo Credit: Mount Royal University Calgary’s Mount Royal University (MRU) has received a $3-million federal grant to expand its flight training program, allowing for the doubling of pilot training positions to 80 per year in the Aviation Diploma program and launching a new Bachelor of Aviation Management degree program in 2024.
The federal investment will also help equip a new hangar and learning facility at the university’s Springbank campus, including new virtual reality technology and flight simulators needed to train the next generation of pilots and aircrew.
“The demand for pilots continues to grow and today’s announcement speaks to the strength of MRU’s aviation program, the vital role of education in advancing the aviation sector and its importance to the future economy of Alberta,” said MRU president and vice-chancellor Dr. Tim Rahilly, PhD. “This funding boost allows Mount Royal University to connect even more students, who aspire to be pilots or aviation professionals, with the education they need to meet the demands of the growing aviation sector.”
The funding is allocated through PrairieCan’s Community Economic Development and Diversification Program (CEDD).
Over the next two years, this investment is expected to create more than 70 jobs, assist approximately 10 small- and medium-sized businesses, and train 140 students.
“Calgary’s post-secondary institutions are playing an essential role in supporting the growth of Alberta’s aviation sector,” Dan Vandal, minister for PrairiesCan, said in a statement. “Our government’s investment towards expanding Mount Royal University’s pilot training facility will help prepare a new generation of aviation professionals to drive the continued growth of Alberta’s aviation industry and the high-quality jobs that it creates for people and communities across the province.”
Mount Royal’s two-year aviation diploma is one of Canada’s Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) accredited programs, integrating academic preparation with flight training for a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) with multi-engine and instrument ratings. Eighty-six per cent of graduates have found employment in the field of aviation, MRU said.
