CAE has launched a global flight training alliance with the goal of producing more than 2,000 pilots a year to address the growing shortage of airline crews, particularly in rapidly growing markets such as China and India.
"The long-awaited global pilot shortage is here, and is very acute in emerging markets," says Jeff Roberts, CAE group president, civil training and services.
The CAE Global Alliance combines ab initio flight training schools with the Canadian company's network of simulator centres and will produce type- qualified first officers.
The initial three members of the alliance are Academia Aeronáutica de Évora in Spain, which is owned by CAE and TAP Portugal; HM Aerospace in Langkawi, Malaysia; and International Airline Training Academy in Tucson, Arizona. Together the schools have the capacity to train more than 600 pilots a year.
CAE plans to add alliance partners, particularly in areas suffering critical pilot shortages, with the goal of producing more than 2,000 type-rated pilots annually within two years. Roberts expects 15,000-20,000 pilots a year to be required over the next 10-15 years.
Cadets will undergo ground school and flight training at the partners, then receive a type rating on a Level D simulator within CAE's training centre network. The company plans to standardise the curricula used by the alliance, and to use simulation-based training throughout the process.
CAE will deploy web-based training and training devices, with the companies sharing investment. The company is also developing a curriculum for the pending multi-crew pilot's licence.
Source: Flight International
