CAE is to form a training joint venture with Spain's Iberia. The new company will combine CAE's training centre in Alcala with the airline's simulator base at Barajas, and will be responsible for training pilots from Iberia and other carriers. The deal boosts CAE's civil aviation training network to more than 90 simulators at 19 locations world-wide.
CAE will have an 80% equity share in the new venture and Iberia 20%, making it "almost an acquisition", CAE says. The combined assets are valued at g75 million ($87 million). They include 10 simulators: an Airbus A320, Bombardier CRJ200, Dash 8 and Boeing MD-82 at Alcala; and two A320s, two A340s, one Boeing 747 and an MD-87/88 at Barajas. The A320 and A340 simulators will be part of the existing Airbus-CAE training partnership.
The joint venture with Iberia goes further than CAE's previous training deals with airlines. The Canadian company has a teaming agreement with Alitalia to market time on simulators that each owns at the Italian airline's Rome training centre. Under a 50:50 teaming agreement with Emirates, CAE manages the Dubai training centre and markets time on simulators that each owns, while Emirates manages the training. At Zuhai, a 50:50 joint venture company formed by CAE and China Southern Airlines markets the Chinese carrier's simulators to other airlines in the region.
Source: Flight International
