Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has awarded a $14-million contract to Spatial Composite Solutions, the UAE-based manufacturer of crew training equipment for the global civil aviation and aerospace industries.

Under the contract, Spatial will design and manufacture a total of 14 cabin crew training devices, including Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner models, to the latest Etihad Airways specifications and install these at the new Etihad Innovation Training Academy in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The company will also build a series of door and cabin trainers that cater to Etihad Airways’ growing fleet of Airbus A320, Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 aircraft, and will conduct an extensive refurbishment programme on all existing cabin crew training equipment at the state-of-the-art Etihad Training Academy, located next to the airline’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi.

The devices are currently being manufactured under licence from Boeing and Airbus at Spatial’s facility in Rakia Free Zone in Ras Al Khaimah, and initial handovers have already commenced.

Aubrey Tiedt, vice president guest services at Etihad Airways, said: “High quality safety and hospitality is an Etihad Airways trademark, and we continuously invest in the best available training facilities. We are delighted to partner with Spatial Composite Solutions in developing the latest Cabin Safety and Service Trainers. These will provide our cabin crew with the best environment in which to hone their skills. We look forward to receiving our new equipment, including our first Airbus A380 and Boeing B787 training devices, in December.”

Joseph McKeever, chief executive officer of Spatial Composite Solutions, said: “We are really pleased to be involved in this ground-breaking project with Etihad Airways. The size and scale of the installation is quite unique and the inauguration in December will be something to look forward to. No effort has been spared by all of the stakeholders in this undertaking to ensure that Etihad Airways’ vision to be at the forefront of change in global aviation is upheld.” - TradeArabia News Service