"We are not just providing immediate humanitarian aid to Ukraine. We also support stabilisation and future development. After the war, Ukraine will need to rapidly rebuild its infrastructure, of which civil air transport is an integral part. The government donation supports the training of aviation specialists in Ukraine according to European standards,“ said Minister Lipavský.

Czech government decided to provide a cash donation of CZK 22 million in April 2023. The funds are intended for both academic cooperation between NAU and CTU and for practical training, for which NAU has selected the F-Air flight school.

„The project has significantly supported the trilateral cooperation between the CTU, the National Aviation University and F AIR ltd., which has been developed since 2021. We are pleased to have the capacity to use our more than 20 years of experience in training pilots in a university environment to develop the education of the National Aviation University in accordance with EU legislation," said CTU Rector Vojtěch Petráček.

The American Embassy in Kiev has also recognized the project's merit and extended its support by contributing an additional 10 million CZK from the Development Cooperation Program of the CTU's Transport Faculty.

“The U.S. Government is proud of our deep partnership with the Czech Republic in support of the people of Ukraine.  Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues to target its people and economy.  Through joint projects like this, Ukrainian pilots will continue to receive the necessary trainings and certifications to ensure a robust civil aviation industry will not be among the casualties of this war.  Thank you to our partners at the Czech Technical University, the Czech Foreign Ministry, and the National Aviation University in Kyiv,” said the U.S. Ambassador of the Czech Republic Bijan Sabet.

Following a rigorous and transparent selection process for NAU students, which included assessments of their professional and linguistic abilities (as the instruction is conducted in English), 20 carefully chosen students arrived in Czechia last autumn.

The group was divided into two parts - 11 male and 3 female pilots started their training at Karlovy Vary Airport and 6 pilots at Benešov Airport.  The training started with theoretical training. The assumption is that all students will complete practical training on single-engine aircraft in the VFR category, i.e. visual flights, during March and April this year and will proceed to the next phase of training - flights on twin-engine aircraft in the IFR category, i.e. instrument flights.

In parallel with the practical training, their theoretical training continues, with the aim that in the spring of this year the students will be ready for their first flight theory examinations at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Czech Republic. The teaching and training will continue until the end of 2024.