Captain Abdul Hameed Al-Refai

KUWAIT: Since the beginning of the pandemic, the School of Aviation (SOA) at the Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) is determined to provide aviation students the best teaching methods and ultimate expansion opportunities. Hence, the SOA in line with the current situations adopted the (E-learning) and started its academic 2019/2020 year through Microsoft Teams platform, after receiving the needed approvals from all aviation authorities such as Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

It is worth mentioning that it was a common argument of all relevant people that Aviation students would still have to attend their practical sessions in person and the EASA license examinations should be conducted in person too. In this sense, the SOA in collaboration with the Health and Safety Department of ACK has created COVID-19 safe campus protocols after receiving the necessary approvals from the local authorities.

Thus, aviation students and instructors were able to resume the required practical sessions from campus. The aforementioned achievements reinforced the determination of the aviation team and management and made them work hard to develop and introduce new courses despite the challenging situation.

Also, one of the greatest achievements during this time was that the SOA had successfully introduced the B1.1+B2 combined course providing its B1.1 graduates additional progressive path, which also allows them to pursue their education and earn recognition locally, regionally and internationally. Upon course completion, students may then apply for B1.1 and B2 AME licenses. This combined course will grant ACK's students an advantage and priority in the job market.

Commenting on the continuous achievements, the Senior Director of the SOA at ACK, Captain Abdul Hameed Al-Refai said: "We are constantly monitoring the market trends in the aviation industry to ensure our response to the market needs and equip our students with the latest industry knowledge and technologies. These achievements will definitely provide our students with the ability to develop their skills and to succeed in this field."