HK Express Has Built a Milestone Partnership with HKIAA to Develop Hong Kong's Home Grown Aviation Talent

HK Express Airways (HK Express) and The International Aviation Academy (HKIAA) proudly announced the recruitment of 11 graduates from HKIAA’s first intake of Cadet Pilot Programme as HK Express’s Second Officers. It is also the first airline to employ cadet pilots from HKIAA. An epaulette presentation ceremony was held on the 19th of November to celebrate this milestone event of pilot training in Hong Kong.

The milestone partnership between HK Express and HKIAA will help nurture the next generation of high-quality airline pilots and shape the future of aviation in Hong Kong

Jeanette Mao, CEO of HK Express, said that one of the company's key missions is to nurture local aviation talent and contribute to the city’s long-term growth as an international aviation hub, based on its role as Hong Kong’s only low-cost carrier. HK Express is proud to welcome these cadet graduates to the company and looks forward to watching them take flight – both literally and in their careers. The milestone partnership with HKIAA will help to deepen the mutual collaboration of the two sides and reinforce each other's shared belief in creating opportunities for passionate young people to pursue their flying ambitions. By cultivating local pilot talent, HK Express is also supporting its ongoing route and fleet expansion, as well as its broader people development strategy, and building the foundation for a stronger, more sustainable aviation future for Hong Kong.

Simon Li, President of HKIAA, noted that the academy is committed to nurturing and empowering aviation enthusiasts to drive the sustainable development of the aviation industry in Hong Kong and across the region. HKIAA launched the first Cadet Pilot Programme two years ago to provide aspiring talents with the opportunity to pursue their dreams of becoming civil pilots. He was quite proud to celebrate the success of the graduates as they took on the role of Second Officer at Hong Kong Express. He greatly values the shared commitment with Hong Kong Express and believes their partnership will help nurture the next generation of high-quality airline pilots and shape the future of aviation.

This initiative builds on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between HKIAA and its partnering airlines, including HK Express, in September 2023, which provides cadets with preliminary interviews and subsequent interviews for Second Officer positions for the graduates. Since the launch, the HKIAA Cadet Pilot Programme has successfully completed eight intakes, helping to shape the next generation of Hong Kong pilots.

HKIAA provides students from the Cadet Pilot Programme with the opportunity to undergo flight training in Chengdu, China, or in California, USA. Recently, an A320 flight simulator was introduced to facilitate realistic training scenarios, enhance safety protocols, and prepare students for the demands of modern aviation. The new facility also enables students to complete the multi-crew cooperation course, a mandatory requirement before obtaining a commercial pilot license issued by the Civil Aviation Department.

HK Express CEO Jeanette Mao (front row, third from left), HKIAA President Simon Li (front row, third from right), HK Express Training General Manager Captain Andy Chow (front row, second from left), and HKIAA Flight Training and Engineering Director Jack Ip (front row, second from right) and the eight newly appointed HK Express Second Officers

SMU coach Andy Enfield believes star forward B.J. Edwards' right ankle would have been ready by Friday if the Mustangs had found a way to advance out of the First Four at the NCAA Tournament.

Only SMU didn't, falling to Miami (Ohio) with the senior guard out of the lineup. The Mustangs had indicated Edwards might have been available for the tournament at large, which the NCAA selection committee indicated played a factor in giving SMU an at-large berth in the 68-team field.

Enfield brushed off the suggestion that the fact Edwards didn't play could hurt how the selection committee views the Mustangs in the future.

“We deserved to be in the NCAA Tournament if you look at all our metrics and our wins,” Enfield said. “We all thought that B.J. would be back.”

Enfield described Edwards' injury as “serious." Edwards hadn't played since tweaking the ankle against California on Feb. 25. Enfield credited Edwards for making every effort to be available by Wednesday. Instead, Edwards — who averaged 12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists — was “a day short” of being cleared by SMU's medical staff.

“It was heartbreaking when he said, ‘I’m just not quite (there),'” Enfield said. “We thought he’d be right there. But it’s a very heartbreaking thing to have someone that wants to be out there and just can’t do it. It didn’t feel comfortable quite yet.”

The Mustangs (20-14) made the tournament despite an 8-10 mark in the ACC. Their resume did include wins over conference powers North Carolina and Louisville, though they also lost to struggling Syracuse.

“As far as the committee, what they’re — we deserved to be in the NCAA Tournament, bottom line,” Enfield said. “That’s pretty to the point right there.”

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

SMU head coach Andy Enfield watches his team play against Louisville during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)