Aviationfly – Pilot Training Industry – Market Intelligence – Week 21st of December

Every Monday Aviationfly releases the latest Marketplace Request for Proposals, Supplier Directory updates and Aviation Industry news headlines from the previous week. Here is a recap of last week (we are temporarily not publishing Marketplace or Supplier Directory updates):

Aviation Industry News:

• New Airline MPL Cadet Training launched! Cambodian based Lanmei Airlines launches Multi-Crew Pilot License (MPL) program with two intakes in 2021!
  Lanmei Airlines is one of the leading airlines in Cambodia operating since September 2017. In year 2019, total passengers exceeded 1.2 million and operated 21,300 flights. Selected cadets will complete an Integrated Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) training course at Lanmei Training Center and will proceed with A320 type rating course followed by 200 hours initial operating experience during line training. Upon completion of the line training, employment opportunity will be given to the MPL cadets as First Officer (2 year contract - minimum of 1,500 hours)! In 2021 the program will take in 16 cadets in two batches and is open to all nationalities (with Cambodian Nationals being prioritized). The MPL program is part of the Lanmei Training Center, an SSCA approved ATO providing the pilot training program and CCAR147 B1 & B2 aviation engineer training following with line training and OJT (on-the-job training) with Lanmei Airlines.
  Source and discussion through this link.
• EASA - European Union Aviation Safety Agency going to allow further use of fixed base simulators - thereby reducing the cost of training for pilots
  European regulators published NPA 2020-15. This Notice of Proposed Amendment will bring changes to the current EU training paradigm and allow high quality training to be performed on a blend of simulator and other training devices rather than being overly dependent on the use of an FFS. This will maintain safety while promoting more cost-effective training. MPS is proud to have contributed to this NPA and stands ready to serve clients with its innovative Fixed Base Devices and other smart training solutions which have been developed with this upcoming regulatory change in mind. If you are interested to check out the Amendment click here.
  To learn more about fixed base simulators for Airbus A320, Boeing 737 and Boeing 737MAX check out the profile of MPS.
• One of the leading Flight Schools in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia) - OxfordSaudia is hiring!
  The academy currently has 850 students and needs more staff to continue to support the top quality training being delivered in Dammam! They are looking for: Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Human Resources and numerous other positions.
• 43 Air School, the largest Flight School on the African continent, receives the first of two IndiGo Pilot Training Cadet groups in December!
  Fantastic to see 43 Air School continue to support the largest airline in India through its Insight Aviation program!
  Source and discussion through this link.
• Boeing is hiring its own team of up to 160 pilots to work with airlines on its relaunch of its bestselling 737 Max as the plane returns to service around the world.
  The manufacturer is seeking pilots with instructor experience to observe and help airline pilots once flights of the 737 Max restart in the new year. The pilots will be given 35-day assignments at an equivalent annual salary that could reach $200,000 (£148,000), with a potential total cost of $32m.
  Source and discussion through this link.
• US Government agrees on US$15 billion in payroll assistance for US airlines!
  This will allow them to return more than 32,000 furloughed workers to their payrolls through March 31, 2021! According to Reuters, airline workers would be paid retroactive to Dec. 1 and airlines would have to resume flying some routes they stopped after the aid package expired, congressional aides briefed on the talks said earlier.
  Source and discussion through this link.
• Reporting for duty: Air NZ calls in 175 furloughed crew as it prepares for travel bubbles!
  Air New Zealand is recalling 175 cabin crew who have been on Covid-related furlough, as it gears up for quarantine-free travel bubbles. On Monday it was announced the New Zealand and Australian governments had agreed in principle to open a quarantine-free travel bubble by the end of the first quarter of 2021. It came two days after a similar announcement about a New Zealand-Cook Islands bubble was made. Air New Zealand says it is starting the process of recalling all its A320 cabin crew members who are currently on furlough, in preparation for the two-way travel bubbles in early 2021.
  Source and discussion through this link.
• Airlines find themselves facing a critical dilemma as they resize their networks for a new post-coronavirus normal, and must walk a tightrope between furloughing pilots and keeping them on staff to maintain network flexibility, experts say.
  During a 20 August webinar organised by FlightGlobal in association with CAE, three industry experts weighed in on what airlines must do to keep balance between shrinking their pilot workforces in the short term to save money, while keeping enough pilots working or in easy reach if and when a significant recovery begins. “We are seeing, in some cases in North America, as much as 15-20% of the pilot seniority lists taking early retirement,” says Murray. “When you combine that with the additional retirements taking place in the next two or three years, we are going to be dealing with a significant shortage as early as 2023-2024.” The shortage will ”be driven by not only the retirements, but, more importantly, the pipeline of pilots that are thinking about entering the industry now”. During the global financial crisis of 2009, student pilot certificates fell almost 35% because potential candidates no longer saw aviation as a viable career, Murray adds.
  Source and discussion through this link.
• Emirates Flight Training Academy celebrates first ever cadet graduation ceremony for 25 cadet pilots!
  His Highness Sheikh Ahmed awarded the certificates to the successful cadets. The future aviators underwent over 1,100 hours of ground-based training, along with 315 hours of flight instruction (including simulator flying), to obtain their Integrated Air Transport Pilot Licence, as they now follow on to complete their Type Rating. The training EFTA provided its cadets exceeds the guidelines prescribed by the United Arab Emirates GCAA for ab initio pilot training.
  Source and discussion through this link.
• One of the leading European pilot training organizations, Pilot Flight Academy, prepares to send the first group of 14 students to US Flight Training Partner US Aviation Academy as the US Flight School receives EASA site approval at its Texas campus!
  Student Pilots of Pilot Flight Academy will complete their 90 hours of basic flight training in the US before returning to Norway to complete the integrated ATPL course.
  Source and discussion through this link.
• US based Epic Flight Academy students take flight with state-of-the-art full motion Cessna 172 simulator!
  It’s called a Frasca Cessna 172 Advanced Aviation Training Device and comes fully loaded with a high-fidelity, six-axis motion system along with an extremely realistic, wrap-around visual system. Epic teamed with Frasca, an industry leader in aircraft simulation to develop the Cessna simulator, the first of its kind to feature such advanced technology. “There are other full-motion simulators, but not for Cessna 172s,” Epic said. The new equipment represents a sizeable investment for the flight school, which serves more than 180 students on the path to a private or commercial pilot license with an educational and support staff of 130 employees. Danny Perna, Epic’s CEO, was among school officials who traveled to Frasca’s production plant in Illinois to make sure that the simulator would mirror the feel of an actual Cessna aircraft. Although the simulator is a big investment, it will help save the company money in fuel and maintenance by reducing the need to use actual aircraft for training flights and reduce the air traffic noise that might affect the airports residential neighbors Perna said.
  Source and discussion through this link.
• ALSIM is extremely pleased to announce the win of the latest tender of the Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC) for the supply of five ALSR20 and one AL172 simulators.
  This win is a further testament of the partnership between the French company and one of the most renowned flight universities in the world and the most renowned in China. This latest purchase increases the CAFUC’s fleet of Alsim simulators to a total of 15 devices, already composed of AL42s, specific Diamond DA42 and AL172s, specific Cessna 172 Skyhawks.
  To learn more about its Simulators check out the ALSIM Profile.
• Piper Certifies Pilot 100 and 100i Trainers!
  Piper Aircraft announced the certification of the Pilot 100 series flight training aircraft, with the first 8 Piper 100i models to deliver to American Flyers by the close of 2020. The most basic models in the Piper fleet—targeted to flight schools—round out the manufacturer’s lineup as an attempt to address the need for a reduced-cost platform specifically for economical private pilot and instrument rating instruction. “We are excited to add the Pilot 100 series to our training product line at a price point that provides optimal economics for all operators”, said Piper’s president and CEO, Simon Caldecott. “During these uncertain times, our team has continued to remain focused and has worked diligently to bring to market an aggressively priced, proven trainer that offers the advanced systems and performance that flight schools and airline programs of all sizes desire.”
  Source and discussion through this link.
• Sign of an upcoming recovery in the pilot simulator training industry? The Group President of CAE is Buying Shares!
  The Group President of CAE (CAE), Nick Leontidis, bought shares of CAE for $228.5K. This recent transaction increases Nick Leontidis’ holding in the company by 13% to a total of $1.55 million!
  Source and discussion through this link.
• IndiGo Expects To Reach Pre-Crisis Levels Of Traffic In A Few Months!
  Low-cost giant IndiGo expects to reach its pre-pandemic traffic levels by early 2021. The carrier is now flying over 1,000 daily flights as India’s domestic recovery continues. Cargo capacity has also been crucial this year, with IndiGo adding several new destinations domestically and internationally. Before the crisis, the airline was flying over 1,500 daily flights to 63 domestic and 24 international cities. Considering the airline was flying zero flights back in May, this turnaround is quite exceptional. Currently, the government has allowed airlines only up to fly 80% of their winter schedules. This means IndiGo would need the caps to be removed in order to reach 100% of pre-crisis levels. If this were to happen, IndiGo would likely move quickly to add more flights seeing the current levels of demand. In November, IndiGo held a market share of just under 54%, far ahead of the 13.2% held by SpiceJet in the second place. Load factors have improved too, with IndiGo now seeing its planes 74% full, according to Mint, but remain much lower than before the crisis.
  Source and discussion through this link.
• Pakistan's has a new privately owned airline - AirSial!
  AirSial will go airborne on the 25th of December 2020 and start of with a fleet of 3 Airbus A320! This is the third private airline in Pakistan after Airblue and Serene Air.
  Source and discussion through this link.
• Aviation Training Company AVIAR Unveils its Virtual Training Platform!
  AVIAR provides a training platform and solution in various areas of aviation training. The demo it has recently unveiled showcases grounds operation training. The platform showcases the layout of a craft, the various components of the aircraft as well as how users can interact with these specific tools. The user can even drive vehicles and tow the plane. The most complete training aspect of the AVIAR platform is its ground operations training. However, AVIAR CEO Grigory Ridionov has stated that the company will release its first cabin training modules in the first quarter of 2021 while pilot and security training is set to be unveiled towards the end of 2021.
  Source and discussion through this link.

If you have a Pilot Training Industry announcement that you would like to share with a larger audience please contact us.