New Location to Provide Simulator Services, Education for Airline and Area Carriers

CAE has signed an exclusive 15 year agreement with the Qantas Group, committing to develop and operate a brand new pilot training center in Sydney, Australia. 

The move comes as Qantas looks to expand its training footprint to replenish its number of qualified pilots, demonstrating a high level of commitment to training through a wide variety of top-flight training gear. The 7,000 square meter Sydney facility is expected to open in early 2024 with more than the usual slate of bells and whistles. CAE will install their new A320 full flight sim in addition to a few pieces from Qantas to round out the location. The group will sell their B787, A330, and B737NG full flight Sims to CAE for the facility, along with their associated procedures trainers where applicable. In addition, the firm’s A380 FFS and procedures equipment will be moved to the new center, where it will remain Qantas property under the operation and maintenance of CAE. That group of simulators is just the start, with capacity for up to 8 should the location warrant the expansion. Future additions to train for the Airbus A350 and A321XLR are expected to provide additional Airbus CAE notes that the project is young, so completion is subject to an array of planning approvals, and final approval from both firms. 

CAE President and CEO Marc Parent broke the news with enthusiasm. “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,” he said. “As the operator of 50+ civil aviation training centers around the world, CAE is uniquely positioned to provide operational efficiencies to the Qantas Group and deliver an exceptional training experience for their pilots.” 

Likewise, Qantas execs are looking forward to a much shorter trip for company pilot training. “The Qantas Group has trained its pilots and crew in Sydney for more than half a century. Through this partnership with CAE, we look forward to bringing this critical function back to New South Wales via the new custom-built facility,” said Alan Joyce, Qantas Group’s CEO. “As our international network recovers from the impact of COVID and we grow our fleet, this new training center will give us the simulator capacity required to train our new and current pilots.”

FMI: www.cae.com