Boeing and FlightSafety International have joined forces to create a comprehensive flight- and groundcrew-training company which will support airline training needs whether they operate Boeing aircraft or not.
The formation of the new company, named FlightSafety Boeing Training International, is the first major action of Boeing Enterprises, the recently created organisation designed to oversee non- core businesses such as Boeing Business Jets. "We see this training requirement as a real growth business," says Larry Clarkson, president of Boeing Enterprises.
Boeing says that it will continue to offer customer training, but aims to tap into the global need for training through the new venture. The company will offer 36 flight simulators in 12 locations around the world. "We have plans to expand in 1997 as FlightSafety has just about finished a new facility in China," adds Clarkson.
The Seattle-based company says that the venture will have "a side benefit" of helping it compete against Airbus Industrie, which has begun supplying simulators as part of sales deals. "That's not primarily the reason for doing this, and we've done it ourselves a time or two, but it ties us in with a major simulator maker and helps us to participate in the overall growth of the market," Clarkson says.
Further expansion plans also include taking over the training requirements of large airlines which operate their own training establishments. "We believe that, as airlines concentrate on their core business, a lot of them will look to offload training. We can make a deal and take over their facilities and that's something we're looking at," Clarkson adds.
Boeing and FlightSafety will each own 50% of the new company, and each will contribute around $100 million in assets to launch it. Boeing will retain ownership of its Customer Training Center site, although it will lease part of it to the new company.
Source: Flight International