The International Cabin Attendant Training School (ICATS) was once just a dream for ICATS CEO Princess Joy Garcia and her co-founders – and now it has become the country’s premier flight attendant school.

Established in 2009 by Garcia, Arthuro de Leon (current program and training head), and the late Armie Guiao, ICATS has been helping Filipinos pursue their dream career as a flight attendant through its innovative programs taught by top-notch trainers and modern facilities.

From humble beginnings to flying high

Starting with just 3 enrollees back in 2010, ICATS now has more than 1,173 graduates who hold vital positions in prestigious local and international commercial airlines such as Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Oman Air, Saudi Arabian Airlines, and Air Asia, among others.

ICATS experienced a rapid increase in enrollees by 2014, which prompted the school to transfer to a bigger venue to accommodate all their students. By 2017, ICATS geared for another expansion and transferred to its current location at the Philippine Stock Exchange Center in Pasig where they created the Cabin Trainer, a replica of an aircraft’s Business and Economy class setting for aircraft familiarization, emergency procedures, and in-flight services to give trainees a better grasp on real-world scenarios.

Recently, the school became of the few TESDA-accredited flight attendant schools in the country and is a recipient of TESDA’s Elite Business and Leadership Awards 2019 (awarding ceremony to be held in May) for its exemplary training programs.

Innovations in aviation and beyond

Through the years, ICATS has made its name in the airline service industry – and in recent years has expanded its offerings to cater to professionals in other industries.

“Our vision has always been for each of our graduates to become the best and this applies not just to aspiring flight attendants but to professionals who work in a customer-oriented capacity. We want to continue molding students and working professionals into knowledgeable, dependable and confident individuals in and outside of the airline service industry through our existing and new programs,” shared Garcia.

ICATS offers 3 core programs: Cabin Crew, Campus and Corporate. Under the Cabin Crew program are in-depth courses Direct Flight Program, Red-Eye Flight Program (for working professionals who want to shift to a flight attendant career), and Connecting Flight Program (developed for aspirants who are living outside of Metro Manila). The Campus Program also has 3 courses: Flight 101 (Introduction to the Life of a Flight Attendant), Flight 102 (Improving Personal Skills to Become an Airline Professional), and Flight 103 (Transforming Flight Attendant Dreams to Reality).  

ICATS’ Next ‘Wave’ of Programs

Aside from programs focused on the airline service industry, ICATS also has a Corporate Program that caters to employees in the professional arena, particularly those in people-oriented positions.

For its 9th anniversary, ICATS is launching 3 new courses under this core program.

One is the Corporate Image Enhancement Program, which tackles dressing for success and cultivating a positive corporate image. This new program has helped employees from firms such as Victory Liner, Megaworld, Chinabank Savings, and Philippine National Savings Bank.

Another new program is Wave, an onboarding program designed to help a company’s Human Resources team articulate its vision, mission and core values to employees with the goal of building a strong organizational culture.

Lastly, the Me After College program seeks to help fresh graduates make the transition from student to professional as smoothly as possible. Enrollees learn about image enhancement and job interview essentials, which can prepare them for the next phase of their life and help them land their dream job.

Nine New Dreams Turn Into Reality

Aside from new training programs, ICATS also aims to pay it forward in their 9th year by granting 9 full scholarships to bright and deserving individuals. Chosen from hundreds of applicants, these 9 aspirants all have different backgrounds and come from various parts of the country: former BPO employee Ferdinand Adriano from Pangasinan, insurance professional Kristel Adriano from Bulacan, former overseas worker Hakim Bonsalagan from Isabela, accounting graduate Franz Calbelo from Marikina, former Cebu airport intern Jessa Mae Cartagenas of Cebu, Sangguniang Kabataan Councilor Kiara Celine Cruz from Bulacan, entrepreneurship graduate Diana Ruth Dones from Mandaluyong, events professional Marie Erika Grajo from Quezon City, and tourism graduate Maria Milvette Lacatan from Taguig. These scholars will undergo training in all 3 of ICATS’ curricula – and are on their way to having a bright future in the skies.
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About ICATS

With a curriculum based on standards set by international flight attendant schools, ICATS' competitive courses include a 5-module training with key subjects on Personality Development, Aircraft Familiarization, Emergency Situation and Procedures, On Board Services and Interview Essentials. Add to these the rigorous hands-on training by qualified and competent instructors – all equipped with years of experience flying with major and prominent international airlines. ICATS is located at 907-A East Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange Center, Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. For updates and course details, contact ICATS at 470-7523, 0939-9144309 and 0917-8222366. Visit their website at www.icatsonline.com or e-mail inquiries at operations@icatsonline.com.