Low-cost carrier Wizz Air officially inaugurated its Wizz Air Pilot Academy (WAPA) in Larnaca on 25 January 2026, marking the first time an airline-linked ab-initio programme has been based on the island. The initiative allows Cypriot residents with no prior flight experience to qualify as Airbus A320 first officers within two years, with training costs partly offset by a tuition-assistance scheme and guaranteed job offers for successful graduates.
The launch comes as global pilot demand rebounds and regional carriers struggle to attract talent willing to relocate. By embedding the academy locally, Wizz Air hopes to secure a steady pipeline of crews for its rapidly expanding Cyprus base, which already operates 36 routes across Europe and the Middle East.
For Cyprus, the school supports wider ambitions to build an aviation-services ecosystem: ancillary spending on simulators, maintenance contracts and instructor visas is expected to add €6 million annually to the economy. The transport ministry confirmed it is expediting residence-permit processing for foreign instructors and cadets, classifying them as ‘high-skill critical’.
![Wizz Air opens Pilot Academy in Cyprus, creating local pathway to cockpit careers]()
For individuals who still need assistance navigating the paperwork, VisaHQ provides an end-to-end online service for Cyprus visas and residence permits, including fast-track options for students and skilled workers. The platform’s Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) streamlines document collection, appointment booking and status tracking, reducing administrative burden for cadets, instructors and their employers.
Corporate mobility teams may find the programme useful for workforce-planning conversations with young employees seeking career shifts into aviation, especially given the airline’s financing options that allow repayment from post-qualification salaries.
An open day attended by more than 300 prospective cadets underscored pent-up demand. Wizz Air said the first training cohort will start in March, with intakes every three months thereafter.
The launch comes as global pilot demand rebounds and regional carriers struggle to attract talent willing to relocate. By embedding the academy locally, Wizz Air hopes to secure a steady pipeline of crews for its rapidly expanding Cyprus base, which already operates 36 routes across Europe and the Middle East.
For Cyprus, the school supports wider ambitions to build an aviation-services ecosystem: ancillary spending on simulators, maintenance contracts and instructor visas is expected to add €6 million annually to the economy. The transport ministry confirmed it is expediting residence-permit processing for foreign instructors and cadets, classifying them as ‘high-skill critical’.
For individuals who still need assistance navigating the paperwork, VisaHQ provides an end-to-end online service for Cyprus visas and residence permits, including fast-track options for students and skilled workers. The platform’s Cyprus portal (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) streamlines document collection, appointment booking and status tracking, reducing administrative burden for cadets, instructors and their employers.
Corporate mobility teams may find the programme useful for workforce-planning conversations with young employees seeking career shifts into aviation, especially given the airline’s financing options that allow repayment from post-qualification salaries.
An open day attended by more than 300 prospective cadets underscored pent-up demand. Wizz Air said the first training cohort will start in March, with intakes every three months thereafter.
