COLONIE — CommutAir has announced that it will relocate its Flight Attendant Training Facility to the Albany International Airport for 2016 classes.
The announcement, made last week, follows the August 2015 opening of the new CommutAir maintenance hangar at Albany International. The hangar was constructed with funding provided through Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council Grant Program, which is designed to create new jobs through infrastructure projects in New York State. CommutAir has already begun hiring aircraft maintenance workers and launched its maintenance training program here in Albany—which is expected to create up to 100 additional well-paying jobs in the Capital Region with the arrival of 40 additional Embraer jet aircraft.
The decision to move flight attendant training to the same location was prompted by the need to hire 20 additional flight attendants each month, up to 300 over the next two years, to staff the additional aircraft. The first two-week training class is scheduled for later this month, and recurrent training will also take place in Albany. (More details on employment opportunities at CommutAir can be found at www.commutair.com.)
“CommutAir continues to exhibit its confidence in New York State and the Capital Region with its decision to relocate its Flight Attendant Training Center to the Albany International Airport,” said Rev. Kenneth Doyle, Chairman of the Albany County Airport Authority. “The Airport Authority remains committed to supporting CommutAir’s growth and expansion with all of our available resources.”
“It’s a very exciting time at CommutAir, and our tremendous growth is creating attractive career and advancement opportunities for pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, and other staff,” said Joel T. Raymond, Chief Operating Officer at CommutAir. “We are grateful to the Albany County Airport Authority for being very helpful in addressing our short and long term facility needs as we continue to expand our operation.”
CommutAir is also hiring pilots during this expansion. The company recently ratified a labor agreement with its pilots and established a Career Path Program (CPP) with United Airlines, which serves as a career springboard for pilots interested in moving from a regional to a major airline. CommutAir, operating as United Express, is majority owned by Champlain Enterprises LLC, an airline holding company founded in the 1980s.
