Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia's regional training academy at Kuala Lumpur International airport is undergoing a massive expansion that sees it more than doubling the size of its premises and adding three more flight simulators.
The expansion includes construction of several new buildings, which were completed in August. The expanded area will open at the end of this year or early next year, says AirAsia Academy auditor Francis Bateman.
Bateman says the new buildings house classrooms, a graduation hall, a smoke-house for aircraft fire and smoke drills and Airbus A320/Boeing 737 evacuation trainers.
AirAsia's academy trains the flightcrew, cabin crew and ground personnel for the carrier in Malaysia and its Thai and Indonesian affiliates. For pilot training the academy has six flight simulators, including one for the 737, four for the A320 and one for the A330.
It received one of the A320 simulators in October and another earlier this month and in recent weeks received the A330 simulator.
While AirAsia manages the academy, the simulator centre housed inside is managed by simulator manufacturer CAE. Martin Williamson, CAE Flight and Simulator Services general manager in Kuala Lumpur, says CAE maintains all six simulators.
AirAsia owns two of the A320 simulators and leases the 737 simulator. CAE owns the two A320 simulators that have just been added and it owns the A330 simulator, he says.
Source: Flight International
