AirAsia on track with pilot training target

[adrianqcs 0]

15-01-2008: AirAsia on track with pilot training target

by Aznita Ahmad Pharmy

 

SEPANG: AirAsia Bhd is expanding its training centre, which will involve an additional investment of RM40 million, and the addition of more simulators in a move to train more than 5,000 pilots a year.

 

AirAsia Bhd group chief executive officer Datuk Tony Fernandes said yesterday the company was investing RM40 million in the second phase of the academy which would include a swimming pool for water drills.

 

The expansion to the academy would be ready by June this year, he said after the signing ceremony between Canadian flight simulator provider CAE and AirAsia. It was witnessed by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy.

 

CAE group president for innovation and civil training and services, Jeff Roberts, said yesterday it picked Malaysia as its regional hub and teamed up with AirAsia Academy in Sepang for the training centre.

 

“Southeast Asia is one of the fastest growing markets in the aviation world and we chose Malaysia due to the government’s speed and support,” he said.

 

“The partnership between CAE and AirAsia would ensure the highest quality in aviation training and would also address the growing pilot shortage we are facing,” Chan said.

 

CAE targets to train 1,000 pilots a year and would increase the target to 5,000 pilots, Roberts said. He hopes to see the region’s contribution to its group revenue, now about 7% to 8%, to double within the next five years.

 

Last November, CAE agreed to manage AirAsia’s Type Rating Training Organisation (TRTO) to train AirAsia’s pilots over the next 10 years beginning this year. The contract is valued at more than RM175 million.

 

The TRTO has three simulators consisting of two Airbus A320s belonging to AirAsia and a Boeing 737-300 belonging to CAE. Two more simulators will be added by CAE within the year.

 

Fernandes said one of the simulators would be for the Airbus A320 and the other for the Airbus A330.

 

On speculation that there were plans to take AirAsia private, he replied: “We have no plans to privatise. It’s not something that I am aware of.”

 

He was asked to comment on the decline in its share price, which had fallen about 9.6% since the announcement of its first-quarter results at the end of November. OSK Investment Research said the airline had seen strong selling of its shares by foreign shareholders of late.

 

On the response to AirAsia’s Singapore and Kuala Lumpur services which will take off from Feb 1: “We are very happy with the response, business is very strong,” he said, adding that to-date about 10,000 seats worth some RM1 million had been sold.

 

[Loh Wilson 0]

Yay !! More opening to join cadet

[BC Tam 2]

15-01-2008: AirAsia on track with pilot training target

by Aznita Ahmad Pharmy

 

SEPANG: AirAsia Bhd is expanding its training centre, which will involve an additional investment of RM40 million, and the addition of more simulators in a move to train more than 5,000 pilots a year.

 

.....

Has that been quoted correctly ? 5,000 annual new entrants into the profession, and this only from one academy, doesn't sound too healthy to me

[Nabiel Haniff 1]

a big chance to join AK cadet~

[Gavin Andrew David 6]

Like everything from Air Asia ....

Everything also can say ... Doing is another seperate thing