Emirates, the world’s largest operator of the Airbus A380, will soon build an advanced training center for pilots as it ramps up operations to meet strong demand for air travel.
The airline said Monday that the center will accommodate six full flight simulators for its future Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X aircraft.
The 5,882 square meter training unit is expected to open in March 2024.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airlines, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, said: “This investment of $ 135 million to build a new training center for pilots will ensure that Emirates is ready to start training pilots before handing over its fleet of aircraft.” new starting in 2024. group.
“The building will be equipped with the latest technologically advanced simulators to provide the best training for pilots, while using solar energy to reduce energy consumption.”
Demand for air travel has exceeded expectations, said Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ chief operating officer, on the sidelines of Bahrain, prompting the company’s plans to hire additional pilots and cabin crew, return more Airbus A380s to service and rebuild its network to pre-pandemic levels. International Air Show in November.
He said at the time that the airline intended to hire an additional 400 pilots and 5,000 to 6,000 cabin crew by mid-2023, while recruiting the maximum capacity for its training centers.
This will increase its current workforce of 4,500 pilots and 17,500 cabin crew.
The airline’s capacity has recovered 80 percent of its pre-pandemic levels, while its extensive network has returned to 95 percent of its pre-crisis size after the reopening of international borders and the easing of coronavirus-related restrictions.
In terms of capacity, Mr. Al Redha said the company currently operates a fleet of 120 Boeing 777s and 78 out of 116 Airbus A380s.
It plans to return its entire fleet of super jumbo vehicles to service by the end of 2023.
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The airline said the new training unit will be adjacent to the existing Emirates Airline training complex in Dubai, which will help trainees to integrate with other centres.
Trainees can set up and configure the cockpit environment as part of the pilot training module and upload data to the full flight simulator.
Emirates said, “This concept is designed to shorten the trainee’s preparatory time inside the simulator, and help him maintain focus and make full use of the training period.”
With the addition of the new building to the airline’s existing training colleges in Dubai, Emirates will have the ability to expand its pilot training capacity by 54 percent annually.
Across the airline’s training buildings, pilots can use 17 full flight simulator slots, providing a capacity of more than 130,000 hours of training per year.
In line with the scheduled delivery of Emirates’ first Airbus A350, the airline’s state-of-the-art training college will begin training its first batch of A350 pilots by June 2024.
Besides training centers for flight deck crew, the airline said it offers a range of career development programs for its workforce and for other aviation professionals.
These centers in Dubai include Emirates Airline Training Academy, Emirates Aviation University, Emirates Airline Cabin Crew Training Center and several programs created specifically for different segments of its employees.
Emirates placed an order for 50 Airbus A350-900 XWB aircraft worth $16 billion at list prices at the Dubai Airshow in 2019. Deliveries were scheduled to begin in May 2023 and continue through 2028.
The long-awaited Boeing 777X, of which the 777-8 and 777-9 variants are, has been in development since 2013 and was expected to be released for airline use in June 2020.
Emirates has a tentative delivery date of July 2025 to receive the first 777X wide-body aircraft with new wings and engines.
Boeing has delayed delivery of the first 777-9, a variant of its new 777X, by another year, and deliveries are now expected to begin in 2025.
Updated: February 20, 2023, 7:40 a.m
