Dubai’s Emirates to invest $135m in new pilot training facility

Dubai carrier Emirates aims to invest $135m to build an advanced training facility, slated to open in March next year.

The facility spanning 63,318 square feet, will accommodate six full flight simulator bays (FFS) for its future Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X aircraft.

“This $135m investment to build a new pilot training centre will ensure Emirates’ readiness to commence its pilot training ahead of the delivery of its new aircraft fleet starting from 2024,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

“The building will be equipped with the latest, technologically advanced simulators to provide the best training for pilots, while using solar power to reduce energy consumption.”

The new centre will be adjacent to the existing Emirates training facilities in Dubai.

Pilot trainees will benefit from “being able to set-up and configure the cockpit environment using bespoke devices as part of the pilot training module and upload the data to the full flight simulator (FFS) prior to commencing their training session,” Emirates said in a statement on Monday.

The new facility, when ready, will have the potential to expand Emirates’ pilot training capacity by 54 per cent annually.

Across its training buildings, Emirates’ pilots will have increased flexibility and facilities to hone their flying skills, with 17 full flight simulator bays offering a capacity of more than 130,000 training hours a year.

The airline’s newest training college will commence coaching its first batch of A350 pilots by June 2024, in line with the scheduled delivery of its first Airbus A350 aircraft.

The carrier had announced a firm order for 50 A350-900 XWB aircraft worth $16bn at list prices at the Dubai Airshow in 2019.

Read: Emirates revises Airbus order, signs $16bn deal for 50 A350s

The airline is investing over $350m to equip its  fleet of A350s with next-generation inflight entertainment solutions, it announced in September 0f last year.

Read more: Dubai’s Emirates plows over $350m in inflight entertainment systems for A350 fleet

Emirates also offers training and development programmes for its workforce and for other aviation professionals. These include the Emirates Flight Training Academy for cadets, Emirates Aviation University and Emirates Cabin Crew Training Centre, among others.