Nasair, the leading low-cost airline of Saudi Arabia, has signed a cooperation agreement aimed at commercial pilot training with the Middle East Academy of Aviation in Jordan at the ongoing Arab Travel Market in Dubai.

“Nasair’s aim was to implement a broad and ambitious program to build a new generation of technically qualified young Saudis to work in the field of civil aviation and this agreement represents the first stage of this programme,” said Naiem A Al-Shabanah, executive director - group human resources & administration at the National Air Services Company, Nasair’s holding company.

“The agreement covers the training of 100 young Saudi people who have commercial pilot’s licenses to be trained technically and qualitatively to enable them to work as commercial pilots,” he added.

“The program incorporates theoretical and scientific studies combined with actual training to enable the student after certain number of flight hours to work as a commercial pilot after completing the training program,” he added.

With regard to other programmes covered by the agreement, Al-Shabanah pointed out that Nasair is planning to expand its training programs for the young Saudis in other fields.

One of them is to train the new graduate engineers to study the maintenance of advanced aircraft, especially Airbus and Embraer and also to train in the field of aviation dispatcher.

“Our initiative at Nasair came in line with the Saudi government's vision to create a new generation of innovative and ambitious young Saudis qualified to work in professional fields,” said Al-Shabanah.

Captain Yousif Al Shingaiti, Embraer training manager said: “The academy has a strong reputation and expertise and therefore we believe that it is one of the best places for our staff to receive training and this agreement comes within a series of prior cooperation between our two companies.”

Abdullah Twairsh, general manager, Middle East Academy of Aviation, said: 'We aspire to become a world class academy in order to provide the Arab region with a standard of professionalism that matches European academies.”

“We are adopting European and international standards in our training courses and most of our trainers have prior experience and enjoy a high standard of technical capacity,” he concluded. – TradeArabia News Service