Garuda Indonesia is speaking to aircraft simulator manufacturers about forming a joint-venture for Boeing 737-800/900 simulator training, because Garuda wants to avoid buying aircraft simulators in its own right.
It makes no sense to tie up so much of the airline's capital in an aircraft simulator, says Garuda president Emirsyah Satar.
"I don't want to own it, I just want to use it," he adds.
In August, Garuda issued a notice seeking a partner to invest in and manage a Boeing 737-800 full-flight simulator and training centre in Jakarta.
It said it would be interested to speak to "qualified institutions or companies" who are willing to manage the centre, and provide the 737-800 simulator, working capital and all the necessary facilities and infrastructure for the centre.
Satar says they are now speaking to some undisclosed aircraft simulator manufacturers about a partnership.
Garuda already has a training centre with a Boeing 737-300/400 simulator but in recent years, it has been adding 737-800s to its fleet and sending pilots overseas to training centres in, for example, Singapore.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
