Etihad Flight College, a subsidiary of UAE-based Etihad Airways, has selected the Embraer Phenom 100E aircraft as its training aircraft with the signing of a $30 million purchase agreement.

The flight college has order four Embraer Phenom 100E aircraft, with three additional aircraft on option.

Delivery of the new carriers will start from the first quarter of 2016, bring the number of aircraft in the trainer fleet to 20.

“As the national airline of the UAE, it is vital for us to establish a world-class training facility to support the training and manpower development of the local Emirati workforce, while also providing a source of well-trained, highly-skilled pilots for our growing operations

"The Phenom 100E’s airline-grade technology, performance and reliability make it an ideal initial training platform to prepare our cadets for line operations," he said.

Etihad Airways currently employs over 2,200 pilots and operates a fleet of 116 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, with over 200 additional aircraft on firm order. - TradeArabia News Service