Summary
- ATP Flight School is the largest flight training company in the United States and focuses on airline-oriented programs.
- ATP has had an eventful history since 1984 and has expanded to 83 training centers with a diverse fleet of aircraft.
- The organization has partnerships with 37 airlines and offers graduates entry-level positions as pilots.
For young pilots, One of the most important decisions is which flight school to enroll in, as this is not only an important career decision, but can also have serious implications for future career prospects. Among the hundreds of flight training programs in the United States for young pilots, ATP Flight School has one of the best reputations. This private organization operates an impressive 83 training centers across the United States.
As the largest flight training company in the United States, ATP Flight School is responsible for a significant portion of the individual pilot training throughout the United States and attributes much of its success to an airline-focused curriculum. Today, the organization is the leading provider of pilots for America’s regional airlines. These airlines perform subcontracted flights for traditional commercial airlines and are where the majority of cadets begin their careers as passenger airline pilots.
Photo: ATP Flight School
The organization was founded over 40 years ago in Atlanta, Georgia and has grown over time to include dozens of flight training facilities and operates an impressive and diverse fleet of aircraft. In this article, we will take a closer look at the history of ATP Flight School and its important role in pilot training today.
A rich history
ATP Flight School was founded in 1984 by a group of airlines. The original acronym stands for Air Transport Professionals. The organization was originally founded to train U.S. military pilots who, despite having previous flight training, were looking to transition into commercial aviation. Given the many former military pilots seeking lucrative airline jobs at the time, it seemed like the company had a successful business model in mind.
Since its inception, the company has expanded its training offerings to include basic training for a variety of pilot certifications and licenses, which can range from private pilot licenses to advanced instrument and type ratings. By the late 2000s, ATP Flight School had grown to over 25 different training facilities across the United States, a number that further increased to 38 by 2017. The company also owns ATP JETS, a fully integrated subsidiary that provides extensive flight simulator training services and was previously known as Higher Power Aviation.
By May 2021, the company had grown to over 61 locations, collectively completing over 24,500 hours of general flight training each month. According to Flying Magazine, the company successfully placed over 400 graduates into full-time airline positions in 2020 and the first half of 2021 alone. In 2024, the company remains the largest civilian flight training organization in the United States and has seen over 20,000 pilots pass through its doors.
Training Centers & Fleet
Currently, ATP Flight School operates 83 training centers across the United States, many of them in major cities such as Phoenix, Dallas and Atlanta. In all of these cities, airlines, which are the primary places of employment for ATP graduates, have large operational centers. One of the most elaborate training centers in the ATP network is in Dallas, where the company houses one of its flagship jet training programs.
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Here, pilots can complete full Part 142 jet training using multimillion-dollar full-motion flight simulators from Airbus and Boeing. The 20,000th ATP student will graduate from the center in November 2023. According to the Pittsburgh Business Times, the company has continued to expand over the years, including building new facilities in the Allegheny Valley.
Photo: ATP Flight School
ATP’s newest flight training center opened in La Verne, California, in 2023, making it the third of its kind in the greater Los Angeles area. The company’s training facility in Tucson is considered the best training facility.
As a major flight training academy, ATP Flight School is one of the world’s most comprehensive operators of training and general aviation aircraft. The organization’s current offering consists of several aircraft types, including all of the following:
- Piper PA-28 Cherokee (Archer TXs)
- Piper PA-44 Seminole
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk
- Cessna CE-525 CitationJet
The organization operates the world’s largest multi-engine training fleet, consisting of Seminole propeller aircraft and jet-powered CitationJets. Originally, ATP Flight School’s single-engine fleet consisted only of Cessna Skyhawks before later adding PA-28s.
Industry relationships and recruitment opportunities
As in most industries, the reputation of an educational institution almost always depends on its ability to place its graduates in top jobs. In this regard, ATP Flight School boasts dozens of partnership programs with major airlines and has placed thousands of cadets in entry-level pilot positions with these companies.
Photo: ATP Flight School
ATP Flight School maintains hiring relationships with 37 different U.S. airlines, including regional carriers, full-service network airlines, and charter airlines. These include Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, and Republic Airways, among others. These extensive partnerships allow select graduates of ATP’s commercial pilot training programs to apply directly for entry-level first officer positions with these airlines.
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The company also has some smaller partnerships with United Airlines and Delta Air Lines through partner hiring programs, and Breeze Airways approached the organization back in March 2022 to fill a gap in pilot capacity. Between March 2021 and March 2022, the company is reported to have placed over 1,000 pilots into full-time commercial pilot positions, one of the highest numbers among similar flight training organizations.
