A family selling roti parcels to fund their child’s dream of becoming a pilot has prompted a cautionary message from Minister for Civil Aviation Viliame Gavoka, who is urging parents to fully understand the financial burden of pilot training.
Speaking in Parliament, Gavoka shared the story while highlighting the high cost of aviation training and the limited job opportunities available in Fiji’s small aviation market.
“I have had visitors to my office, Mr Speaker, Sir, of a family selling roti parcels to fund their child’s training as a pilot. We are talking about close to $100,000 by the end of the day,” Gavoka said.
He said while obtaining a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) is an important achievement, it does not automatically lead to employment.
“In a relatively small aviation market such as Fiji, newly qualified pilots must build substantial additional flying hours and experience before progressing towards the Airline Transport Pilot Licence required for airline operations.”
Gavoka stressed that families should carefully research and plan before committing to the high costs involved in training.
“So I am pleading with parents to really understand the magnitude of the undertaking when they support their children to take up flying,” he said.
The minister also revealed strong interest among young people hoping to become pilots.
For 2026, around 101 candidates sat the aptitude test with Fiji Airways as part of the scholarship process under the Tertiary Scholarships and Loans Scheme (TSLS).
However, only 20 scholarships are available each year.
“According to Fiji Airways, the quality of the candidates was quite high, but they could only provide 20 scholarships each year and that is consistent with the demand in aviation,” Gavoka said.
He encouraged students to also consider other careers within the aviation sector.
“For these young students, there are other aspects in aviation they can take up such as engineering and space management. Pilot is not the whole of aviation,” he said.
Gavoka added that students could also explore other professions rather than placing heavy financial pressure on families to privately fund pilot training.
