Qantas is in discussions with simulator manufacturers, aviation training organisations and financial partners on establishing a new standalone flight training business by the end of this year.
The discussions are part of a training initiative that also includes new pilot training courses in conjunction with Australia’s Griffith University and Swinburne University of Technology.
Qantas says it is investigating a number of joint venture options in the civil and military arena for the new training company. The airline has previously run an in-house training scheme but the new business will train 3,000 pilots for the Qantas Group over the next 10 years in addition to providing training for other carriers.
“With aviation in the Asia-Pacific region experiencing strong and rapid growth, we believe that the time is right to think more broadly about future pilot training,” says Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon.
The business will run independently of the airline, initially operating from the airline’s existing Sydney and Melbourne training facilities and managed by Captain David Coates who currently heads the Qantas Flight Training organisation.
The new training programmes with Griffith and Swinburne universities will involve a three-year course at Griffith and 18 months at Swinburne, followed by two years of flying employment experience with the Qantas Group. Cadets will then be considered for employment as a second officer with the airline.
Students from both university courses will leave with a commercial pilot licence; command instrument rating; credits for all air transport pilot licence theory subjects; 100h as a pilot in command of a fixed-wing aircraft and 200h total flying time, with further flight simulation time.
Source: Flight International
