Article Posted on : - Mar 15, 2012

HYDERABAD (PTI): European aircraft maker Airbus Wednesday said it has signed an agreement with Canada-based CAE Simulator Training to set up the second Indian pilot and maintenance crew training centre at Noida.

CAE Simulator Training is a joint venture between InterGlobe and CAE.

The agreement was signed on the opening day of India Aviation 2012 here, the company said.

The agreement follows a ground breaking ceremony held in Noida in November 2011.

The centre will be fully operational by 2013, and will have a capacity to train up to 5,000 crew annually, making it one of the biggest training facilities of its type in the region, according to Kiran Rao, Airbus Executive vice President sales and President, Airbus India.

Noida is Airbus' second Indian pilot training facility in addition to the Airbus Training India centre (ATI) which was opened in Bangalore in 2007.

The new facility will be spread over a 3.5 acre site and initially house up to six full-flight simulators with a capability to expand to eight simulator bays. Advanced training technology will be used such as CAE Simfinity multimedia classrooms, computer-based training and brief/debrief facilities, Kiran Rao said.

"India remains one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world and in the long terms requires more aircraft and additional pilots and maintenance crew to fly them. India is a strategically important market and strategic partnerships like the new training centre will help India's aviation sector to grow and prosper," Rao said.

Rahul Bhatia, Group Managing Director, InterGlobe, in a statement said, "Airbus and CAE's participation in this initiative will give the much needed impetus to meet the talent needs of the civil aviation community.

"We are confident that in due course, this facility will emerge as a centre of excellence for not just India but South Asia offering access to world-class training technology and solutions in commercial aviation industry."

Jeff Roberts, CAE Group President, Civil Simulation Products, Training and Services said the additional training capacity will enable the airline customers to stay one step ahead of demand for aviation professionals trained using the most advanced technology available.