JEDDAH — As many as 527 Saudis have joined Saudi Arabian Airlines as pilots and assistant pilots after completing their education and training over the past three years.

Saleh Al-Jasser, director general of Saudia, said that a large number of Saudis are being enrolled in the airline’s training and qualification program in view of the growing demand for new fleet of aircraft joining the national carrier.

“Saudization of pilots and assistant pilots represents a major strategy of the airline, which is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Education,” he said.

The Saudia has completed the final admission procedures for more than 400 applicants for the pilots program in the disciplines of commercial aviation and aviation science after they have passed the initial admission tests for the third batch of the program.

At present, 476 students representing the first and second phases of the program are pursuing their courses at world-class universities, academies and institutes of aviation in the United States.

About 254 trainees have successfully completed the educational and theoretical studies at these academies and institutes and have returned home for the final training course at the Prince Sultan Aviation Academy in Jeddah.