Qantas Group has confirmed that they will train pilots at a ne purpose built training centre in Sydney. Located in St. Peters near Sydney Airport, the multi-million dollar facility will provide training for up to 4,500 new and current Qantas and Jetstar pilots and cabin crew.
On Wednesday (August 17, 2022), Qantas Group announced that they will open a new multi-million training center in St. Peters near Sydney Airport by early 2024 which will train up to 4,500 Qantas and Jetstar pilots and cabin crew members annually. The new facility will house up to eight full motion flight simulators, including for Airbus A350 and A320 Family aircraft which were recently ordered as part of the carrier’s ‘Project Sunrise’ flights and Jetstar’s domestic fleet renewal. Additionally, the facility will house fixed flight training devices, emergency procedures equipment with aircraft cabin mock-up, as well as classroom and training facilities. Full-motion flight simulators at the new facility will include Airbus A380, A350, A330, and A320, as well as Boeing 787 Dreamliner and B737. Fixed training devices (FTD) will include A380, A330 and B787.
In Wednesday’s announcement, Qantas Group’s CEO, Alan Joyce, said,
“Qantas has trained its pilots and crew in Sydney for more than half a century and we look forward to bringing this critical function back to New South Wales with this custom-built facility. Sydney will be the launch city for our non-stop flights to London and New York, and will now be the home of pilot training for the A350s, which will operate these flights from 2025. As our international network recovers from the impact of COVID and we grow our fleet, this new training centre will give us the simulator capacity to train our new and current pilots.
“Having flight training centres in all three eastern states, where the majority of our crew reside, will provide significant cost savings and efficiencies by training them at their home base. We’d like to thank the NSW Government for its support for this world-class facility, which will generate broader economic benefits for the state.”
Also commenting on Qantas’ New Sydney Training Centre, the New South Wales Minister for Planning and Minister for Homes, Anthony Roberts, said,
“The NSW Government is a proud supporter of Australia’s aviation industry, and efforts like this will help strengthen capability and ensures NSW and Sydney remain the country’s global travel hub. Our $60 million Aviation Attraction Fund is securing routes, creating jobs and promoting visitor expenditure to accelerate our COVID-19 Road to Recovery, and cement NSW as the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific. The NSW Government has declared the proposal as State Significant, in recognition of its potential widespread economic benefits and importance to the aviation industry.”
At the new facility, senior Qantas and Jetstar training captains will train pilots from the two airlines, while global training provider CAE will maintain the simulators and manage the daily operations at the centre, as part of a long-term partnership. CAE may also provide training for other airlines in the region at the facility. Typically, pilots do four recurrent training sessions annually to maintain their professional qualifications, and up to 15 sessions when training for a new aircraft type.
Speaking on the long-term partnership with Qantas, CAE’s President and CEO, Marc Parent, added,
“As the global leader in civil aviation training, we are thrilled to be expanding CAE’s global network to Sydney, Australia to support the Qantas Group, a company that shares our unwavering commitment to safety. As the operator of 50+ civil aviation training centres around the world, CAE is uniquely positioned to provide operational efficiencies to the Qantas Group and deliver an exceptional training experience for their pilots.”
In addition to the future facility in Sydney, Qantas’ flight training footprint includes centres in three states, including the recently opened Qantas Brisbane Flight Training Centre, along with the Qantas Group Pilot Academy in Toowoomba, which supports the carrier’s long-term talent pipeline, as well as the Nancy Bird Walton initiative to reach a 40 percent intake of female cadet pilots by 2028.
Source: Qantas
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