Emirates-CAE Flight Training (ECFT), the joint venture between Emirates Group and CAE, announced that flydubai will be the anchor customer for the new ECFT airline training centre.

The centre is set to open in the third quarter of 2012 in Dubai's world-class commercial park Dubai Silicon Oasis. Flydubai signed a multi-year exclusive training services agreement with ECFT for Boeing 737NG training.

"Today's increasingly competitive market requires airlines to achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness from every area of operations, including training. At the same time, safety is paramount to passenger confidence and growth," said Ken Gile, flydubai chief operating officer.

"Flydubai has trained with ECFT since our inception, and we are very well satisfied with the exemplary service we receive and the quality of the training programmes."

"We look forward to continuing the key training role ECFT has played in flydubai's very successful startup and rapid growth," said Jeff Roberts, CAE's Group president for Civil Simulation Products, Training and Services.

"Our first training centre in Dubai has played an integral role in the UAE's aviation industry, and we are excited about launching the new training facility in the coming year to serve flydubai and other airlines in the region."

Emirates-CAE Flight Training will provide comprehensive initial type-rating and recurrent training solutions for flydubai line pilots and cadets, including "wet" training with ECFT instructors and "dry" training in which flydubai instructors use ECFT simulators and other training tools.

Flydubai has announced plans to recruit more than 400 pilots over the next four years to meet the needs of its growing fleet and serve its rapidly expanding route network.

The new ECFT facility in Dubai Silicon Oasis will focus on airline pilot and aviation maintenance technician training for the types of aircraft popular among air carriers in the region.

The facility will initially house four full-flight simulator (FFS) bays with plans to expand to as many as 10 bays. The first FFSs installed are expected to replicate the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families of aircraft. – TradeArabia News Service