Students sue United Airlines and school over ‘grand promises’ of pilot future

Over two dozen students are taking legal action against United Airlines and its Arizona-based flight school, United Aviate Academy, for “consumer fraud and deceptive trade practices”. 

The lawsuit alleges that United Airlines made “grand promises” to “lure unsuspecting students” onto a “woefully under resourced” pilot training program.  

According to documents filed at a federal court in Phoenix, 29 students who attended United Aviate Academy claim that they were promised a “one-year flight school program and a pipeline for employment as a commercial airline pilot”. 

However, the students allege that the flight school was under-resourced and oversubscribed despite some paying over $100,000 in fees, funded by loans.  

Central to the allegations against United Airlines and the flight school included that the airline “added more and more students each month, however, students began seeing reductions in their ability to acquire flight time”. 

It is also claimed that students “began seeing substantial turnover in instructors, leading to frequent reassignments and rescheduling”. 

The students also allege that even after the flight time and instructor issues meant that they could not meet the one-year training deadline, United continued to promote the 12-month program to potential newcomers.  

Some of the students left the program when it became clear that it could not be completed in 12 months. 

One student claimed that there were “approximately 20 aircraft and 500 students waiting for flight time” and that they would “sometimes wait weeks before they could get instruction”. 

In May 2024, the Accrediting Commision of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) warned United Aviate Academy that it had failed to maintain an enrollment cap at 325 students or below. 

The lawsuit claims that the flight school “began a campaign to expel students” and gave a “variety of reasons to justify the expulsion”. 

In August 2024, ACCSS placed the flight school on probation for not addressing its concerns, but it is alleged that instead of complying United Aviate Academy withdrew on January 15, 2025. 

“United made false promises and/or misrepresentations to Plaintiffs and members of the putative class with respect to the length of time the UAA program would take, the resources available to students, and otherwise the quality and cost of the program,” the lawsuit states. 

In a statement to the media United Airlines said it could not comment on specific allegations while legal proceedings were in progress. 

“We have the highest confidence in the rigorous curriculum and flight training program provided at United Aviate Academy and are proud of the school’s hundreds of graduates,” the statement said. 

United Airlines purchased the Westwind School of Aeronautics at Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR) and rebranded it as United Aviate Academy. The school opened its doors to the first students in December 2021. 

The lawsuit is asking the court to award the plaintiffs “general, compensatory, consequential, punitive, and nominal damages at an amount to be determined at trial”. 

The original lawsuit, seen by AeroTime, was dated February 21, 2025. 

AeroTime has contacted United Airlines for further comment.  

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