Before my taster session in the simulator, Domenic Di Iorio, global head of Training, captain and instructor Phenom 300 Flight Operations, CAE made the introductions. Installed in February and welcoming its first trainee pilots in March, the full flight simulator is the ninth Phenom 300 installation operated by Embraer and CAE as part of their joint venture Embraer-CAE Training Services (ECTS) launched last year.

The new simulator – Number 9 – is the second in Europe and follows the installation of other Phenom 300 simulators in Dallas, Texas and Las Vegas, Nevada. The Burgess Hill simulator is the second to last in a line of eight full flight simulators at the facility. (Elsewhere in the building is another line of eight simulators dedicated to a range of different aircraft types). There are two Phenom 300 sims in the Burgess Hill facility.

FAA authorisation

The simulator is certified by three authorities: the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Federation Aviation Administration (FAA) authorisation is expected on the Burgess Hill simulator within the next year.

Corporate and owner pilots undertaking initial training on the Phenom 300 will follow an approved training curriculum for issue of a type rating, as required by regulators and operators. Initial training can be from 40 to 100 hours ground training, with a combination of classroom and online training. That’s typically followed by 16 hours as pilot flying (PF) and then 16 hours as pilot not flying (PNF). The Phenom 300 simulator is used for used for both initial and recurrent training.

The flight simulator uses approved aircraft flight data and must meet regulatory requirements with an initial simulator qualification followed by yearly simulator requalification. It’s housed in a fully articulated space accommodating a cockpit, behind which is a flight control consol and additional seating for two trainee pilots.

So how realistic is the simulator? LaRosa who filmed 800 hours of aerial footage for the two-hour movie should know. The aerial sequences were filmed from a converted Phenom 300 camera ship with a gimbal-mounted film camera on the nose and a still camera aft of the cockpit. The aircraft is owned by LaRosa’s friend and business partner Jonathan Spano. (Incidentally, LaRosa is the only non-military pilot to be cleared for a 240-knot (276 mph) flyby over the deck of the Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered super carrier US Theodore Roosevelt, as part of the movie filming).

‘An almost perfect match’

“The Phenom 300 simulator is an almost perfect match for the real aircraft,” LaRosa told CJI. “While the visuals are not perfect, they are amazing. The movement of the simulator is very accurate.”

He’s equally impressed by the Phenom 300 aircraft. “It’s a super capable aircraft – and like any aircraft it’s really all about the training,” adds LaRosa. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW535E engines, the Embraer jet is rated for single pilot operations and can carry up to 10 passengers. It has a maximum speed of 533mph and a maximum range (with four passengers) of 2,010 nautical miles. About 700 are in operation worldwide.

Back in the simulator, I’m working hard. LaRosa let me follow him on the controls as we took smoothly off. He then turns the aircraft over to me for some gentle climbing turns to the left before descending to trace the course of a valley floor.

Sitting behind us in the simulator is Di Iorio – a 40-year-plus veteran of CAE with more than 1,000 hours on type in his logbooks. Today, he is playing the role of Air Traffic Control giving us clearances. In addition to his own currency training on the simulator, Di Iorio also acts as both an instructor and examiner on type.

Engine fire

Towards the end of our ‘flight’ back to the ‘airfield’, he slips seamlessly into the role of tormentor-in-chief. Without warning, he randomly announces the discovery of an engine fire in our port engine.

LaRosa immediately takes control and starts the word-perfect emergency engine drills. Right engine shut down and ignite fire extinguisher, single-engine operating speed and configuration together with emergency radio calls before touch down. It all goes flawlessly. But the full flight simulator is so realistic, and I’m so invested in the simulated emergency, I couldn’t dispel that haunting feeling of queasiness.

If you enjoyed reading about this taster flight simulator session, buckle up for a ride in the real Phenom 300 camera ship that LaRosa used to film the aerial sequences in the latest Top Gun movie. Published in Corporate Jet Investor Quarterly, we ride with LaRosa as he recalls how the camera ship was born and the challenges of filming a Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet from a business jet.

The CAE Phenom 300 simulator is located at CAE’s Burgess Hill facility, West Sussex, UK.

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“We plan to add a Challenger 3500 and Phenom FFS in Vienna to address the high demand in Europe for pilots rated on these aircraft,” said Alexandre Prévost, CAE’s division president, Business Aviation. “We are seeing great interest for Bombardier Global 6000 Vision and 7500 training, and the Global 7500 full-flight simulator will be the first one in Europe providing access to training for this state-of-the-art aircraft,” he added.

The Phenom simulator destined for Vienna is part of a joint venture between CAE and Embraer, called Embraer CAE Training Services. This includes seven Phenom FFS, the latest of which started operation at CAE Burgess Hill, UK in March.

CAE will also be offer maintenance training at the facility in Vienna, Austria, which is due to open in the second quarter of 2025. The new training centre is designed to add capacity and complement the pilot and maintenance technician training delivered at CAE Burgess Hill. Like other CAE training facilities worldwide, the Vienna centre will offer all phases of classroom and simulator training for established pilots to earn their type-rating and complete recurrent training for differing authorities. The company’s maintenance technician training is offered on aircraft from OEMs including Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer, Gulfstream and others.

Meanwhile, more than 8,000 business aviation pilots and 10,000 private jet maintenance technicians will need to be recruited and trained in Europe by 2032, according to the company’s 2023 Aviation Talent Forecast. CAE’s European growth plans are designed to address the increased demand for skilled aviation professionals.

Worldwide, CAE forecasts 18% growth in the global business aviation fleet between 2023 and 2032, with up to 26,000 business jets in service. This is expected to fuel the need for more than 100,000 new business aviation recruits. “With retirements and attrition, coupled with the industry’s growth, the need to train business aviation professionals effectively and quickly is real,” said the company.

Over the past 13 months, for business aviation training, the company has inaugurated its first North American West Coast training centre in Las Vegas, Nevada, opened a new training centre in Savannah, Georgia, and broken ground on the new Vienna training centre.

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Roger Marszalek, director, Market Strategy and Product Marketing, Civil Aviation, CAE

CJI: How worried are you about the shortfall in aviation recruitment?

Roger Marszalek (RM): The industry has a big challenge ahead to meet the demand for aviation personnel. To meet the demand, industry stakeholders will have to work together, everyone from operators and regulators to training providers and educational institutions to attract, train, and retain talent.

The industry must embrace new solutions, technology and partners, including those from outside the aviation industry. For example, we must find ways to attract digital natives who spend most of their time browsing and interacting online to reach and appeal to Generation Z and open their minds to the possibilities and benefits of a career in aviation.

CJI: What’s more concerning the lack of pilots, technicians or cabin crew?

RM: Too few of either of the groups is a challenge, since pilots, technicians and cabin crew play an essential regulatory role in the safe operation of the air transport system. There are even other professions (i.e., ATC workers, OCC employees, instructors) that are not captured in our report that play a critical role in the air travel ecosystem.

Our forecast showed that each group presents a unique challenge for recruitment:

• Pilot demand is always unique due to its longer training pathway.
• Cabin crew demand shows the highest number of personnel needed.
• Aircraft maintenance technician demand shows the highest rate of personnel retiring.

CJI: What remedies are you deploying to remedy the challenge?

RM

• CAE has partnered with several airlines around the world, including easyJet, Jazz and Spirit, to provide ab-initio training and job opportunities upon successful completion of training.
• We champion initiatives like the CAE Women in Flight program to encourage more women to become pilots, working with various airlines, including easyJet and Air Canada, to provide various scholarship for their training.
• CAE continually invests in the development of high-tech solutions to make training more efficient while enhancing safety. We have deployed online learning tools, improved scheduling, and curriculums, and built a worldwide network of training centres to make the training process more efficient and effective.
• Introduction of Competency Based Training and Assessment to ensure pilots are “mission ready”.
• Products like CAE Rise and CAE Pelesys to improve training management and efficiency.
• CAE Parc Aviation: resourcing services help airlines and operators find the talent they need to allow them to respond to market opportunities quickly.
• Expanding our global footprint to meet demand:

New business aviation training centres:

• CAE Las Vegas (inaugurated in March 2023)
• CAE Savannah (scheduled to begin operation in late 2023)
• CAE Vienna (Scheduled to open in 2024)

New commercial aviation training centres:

CAE Athens (partnership with AEGEAN, set to open in 2024)

CAE Sydney (partnership with Qantas, set to open in 2024)

• CAE’s global civil aviation training network includes:
• 300+ full flight simulators
• 170+ aircraft
• 50+ training locations

CJI: To what extent do commercial airlines see bizav as a recruitment pool?

RM: Commercial pilot demand is up due to the strong recovery in travel post-covid and significant airline expansions planned over the next decade. There are more commercial aircraft in service (31k), and the fleet is expected to grow significantly (39% increase over ten years). The business jet fleet is smaller (22k) and is growing at a slower rate (18% increase over ten years). Regional airlines have parked aircraft due to lack of crew to fly them. Several airline executives have commented on the need for more pilots. Based on these market dynamics, commercial airlines will explore any possible avenue to recruit aviation talent.  

Jeannie Thorne, vice president, Human Resources, Elevate 

CJI: How worried are you about the shortfall in aviation recruitment?

Jeannie Thorne (JT): While recruitment of talent is always a challenge in any industry, Elevate Aviation Group has enjoyed a great deal of success of late.  As such, we have the opportunity to reinvest in our team members, offering opportunities for advancement and career development while also enjoying the stability of a company founded over 20 years ago.  Of late, we are finding that our unique client-centric focus offers a compelling reason to join our team.

CJI: What’s more concerning the lack of pilots or technicians?

JT: As the catchphrase goes, it really does take a village.  Ours is a service-centric industry, where safety and reliability are equally vital to success.  Both pilots and technicians are areas to focus on, as are all of the professional disciplines necessary to deliver a truly world class experience

CJI: To what extent do commercial airlines see bizav as a recruitment pool?
JT: Elevate Aviation is a unique company, deeply experienced in both transport category transportation and executive jet solutions.  Many of our team, including our holding company’s President Randy McKinney, started their careers at commercial airlines.  The management experience and sophistication of these executives is truly extraordinary.  I suppose we see the commercial airline industry as a recruitment pool for executive aviation as much as the other way around.

Brian Foley, founder, Brian Foley Associates

Perhaps the pilot shortage has been discussed for so long in our industry that it has just become a given that it exists, even if it doesn’t.    

There hasn’t been a lot of pilot job hopping, suggesting there’s not unlimited opportunities due to some shortage.   In speaking to flight departments I have not heard of a systemic lack of candidates.  More recently with some of the mega-fleet charter operators experiencing financial challenges, the potential pool has grown even larger

If there’s any pilot constraint it lies with training capacity which is indeed a real issue.   I’ve heard that some classes require the actual name of the pilot for a reservation, and that making pilot substitutions or reserving an open slot cannot be made.  This makes it difficult for a company when onboarding a new pilot who needs recurrent or a type training, as the wait can be lengthy before they can complete the course and start working.  

On the technician side, if a firm is willing to pay for talent then they aren’t as scarce as we’ve been led to believe.  Hourly employees are willing to go across the street for a relatively modest pay increase, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to pay them a competitive wage. 

Delta Air Lines

Spokesman: At Delta we are constantly working to ensure that our staffing levels are calibrated to properly support the needs of our safe, reliable operations.

Pilot hiring at Delta remains robust, at a rate of about 200 pilots per month, and is expected to continue for the coming months. We expect to hire more than 2,000 pilots in 2023 to support future growth.

Through our skills-first approach to hiring, and through initiatives such as our Propel Pilot Career Path Program, we are creating new, equitable pathways for qualified pilot candidates and aspiring pilots to join our team at Delta. Since its inception in 2018, more than 100 Propel participants have graduated and are now flying Delta customers with another 700 currently in the program.

In addition to our community, collegiate and company Propel pathways, we now offer a flight academy path with partial funding from Delta. This broad funnel approach will help sustain a steady pipeline of talented pilots for years to come.

Delta plans to hire between 4,000 to 6,000 additional flight attendants in 2023 to support Delta’s continued growth and bolster their work-life balance.

Delta’s longstanding and strong reputation as a great place to work continues to attract talent across our business, including for aviation maintenance technicians. To date in 2023, we’ve hired more than 700.

In recent years, Delta has established partnerships with more than 50 FAA-certified aviation maintenance training institutions around the US. We have also bolstered our strategic recruitment of transitioning military personnel, veterans and their families along with initiatives to cultivate new technician talent in collaboration with our regional partners and to upskill members of Delta’s existing workforce.

United Airlines

Spokesman:

Hiring at United

• At United, we’re hiring across all major metro areas – coast-to-coast at our seven major domestic hubs – Newark, D.C., Chicago, Denver, Houston, San Francisco and Los Angeles – and many cities including Orlando, Boston, Colorado Springs to name a few.
• We’re hiring across a broad range of positions: we need pilots, technicians, flight attendants and agents but we also need accountants, technologists, lawyers, finance experts, cyber experts and network planners to run our business.
• To date, we’ve hired more than 10,000 people and are on track to bring on more than 15,000 people by the end of the year. Last year (2022), we hired 15,000 people.

Pilots

• Last year we added more than 2,400 pilots – that was our highest pilot hiring year ever – 85% more than 2021.
• This year we’ll add about that same number of pilots. In fact, we already hired more than 1,400 pilots and are well on track to add 10,000 pilots this decade.

Tech Ops (maintenance technicians)

• Since January, we’ve hired over 1,550 maintenance technicians. In the first five months of the year, we’ve hired nearly as many technicians as we did last year – and are confident we will meet our goal of hiring 2,500 maintenance technicians this year alone.
• To support our ambitious growth plan, we need to hire more than 7,000 maintenance technicians by 2026.

Flight Attendants

• We’ve received more than 20,000 applications for the 4,000 flight attendant roles we need to fill this year. That brings our Year-to-Date total to over 32,000, exceeding the total number of applications we received last year alone.

Meanwhile, read the original article here and register for your free One Minute Week newsletter here.

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Last week it revealed a $10m investment designed to improve client services by boosting recruitment for its businesses, which include Private Jet Services and Keystone Aviation, and growing infrastructure.

Elevate joins a long list looking to recruit (and retain) new talent to replace a rapidly ageing workforce. One of the biggest recruiters is Airbus. Last month the manufacturing giant confirmed it is on track to recruit more than 13,000 employees worldwide this year (after recruiting a similar number last year). So far, 7,000 new staff have been hired despite what it describes as “a challenging labour market”.  

Challenging is the word. The size of that challenge was identified recently by flight training company CAE. Global business aviation will need to recruit an additional 32,000 pilots and 74,000 maintenance technicians by 2032, its Aviation Talent Forecast revealed. Commercial aviation will need to recruit an astonishing 1.18m staff including: 252,000 pilots, 328,000 maintenance technicians and 599,000 cabin crew. 

“The industry has a big challenge ahead to meet the demand for aviation personnel,” Roger Marszalek, director of Market Strategy and Product Marketing, Civil Aviation, CAE tells Corporate Jet Investor. “To meet the demand, industry stakeholders will have to work together, everyone from operators and regulators to training providers and educational institutions to attract, train and retain talent.”

The way ahead was to embrace new solutions, technology and partners, including those from outside the aviation industry. “For example, we must find ways to attract digital natives who spend most of their time browsing and interacting online to reach and appeal to Generation Z and open their minds to the possibilities and benefits of a career in aviation,” Marszalek tells us.

So, is Elevate daunted by the prospect of launching its latest recruitment campaign? The question draws a measured response from Jeannie Thorne, vice president, Human Resources, at Elevate. “While recruitment of talent is always a challenge in any industry, Elevate Aviation Group has enjoyed a great deal of success of late,” Thorne tells us. “As such, we have the opportunity to reinvest in our team members, offering opportunities for advancement and career development while also enjoying the stability of a company founded over 20 years ago. Of late, we are finding that our unique client-centric focus offers a compelling reason to join our team.”

Another industry insider who remains sanguine about recruitment prospects is Brian Foley, founder of the aviation consultancy Brian Foley Associates. “Perhaps the pilot shortage has been discussed for so long in our industry that it has just become a given that it exists, even if it doesn’t,” he tells us. “There hasn’t been a lot of pilot job hopping, suggesting there’s not unlimited opportunities due to some shortage. In speaking to flight departments, I have not heard of a systemic lack of candidates.” 

If there’s any pilot constraint it lies with training capacity, he says. “I’ve heard some classes require the name of the pilot for a reservation, and that making pilot substitutions or reserving an open slot cannot be made.” That makes it difficult for a company onboarding a new pilot who needs recurrent or type training. And on the the technician side: “If a firm is willing to pay for talent, then they aren’t as scarce as we’ve been led to believe.” 

So, is business aviation likely to suffer predatory recruitment from commercial airlines? “Regional airlines have parked aircraft due to lack of crew to fly them,” says Marszalek at CAE. “Several airline executives have commented on the need for more pilots. Based on these market dynamics, commercial airlines will explore any possible avenue to recruit aviation talent.”  The number of commercial aircraft in service (31,000) and the fleet is expected to grow significantly (39%) over the next 10 years. The business jet fleet is smaller (at about 22,000 aircraft) and is growing at a slower rate (18% increase over 10 years).

A spokesman for commercial carrier United Airlines tells CJI: “To date, we’ve hired more than 10,000 people and are on track to bring on more than 15,000 people by the end of the year. Last year, we hired 15,000 people.” The carrier is looking for a broad range of positions including: pilots, technicians, flight attendants and agents plus accountants, technologists, lawyers, finance experts, cyber experts and network planners to help run its business.

Delta Air Lines is hiring pilots at a rate of about 200 per month. “We expect to hire more than 2,000 pilots in 2023 to support future growth,” a spokesman tells us. Launched in 2018, the company’s Propel Pilot Career Path Program, has seen more than 100 Propel participants graduate to Delta airline cockpits with another 700 in the programme.

Turning to technicians, Delta has hired more than 700 so far this year. The carrier has established partnerships with more than 50 FAA-certified aviation maintenance training institutions around the US.

So, recruitment looks like a challenge – but not an unsurmountable one. Let’s leave the last words to the late (and much-lamented) Steve Jobs. Here’s the last part of his insight on recruitment. “We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”

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Recruitment will be necessary to to fill vacancies due to retirement, and the aviation industry’s expansion, according to CAE’s Aviation Talent Forecast. More than one third (38%) of pilots are older than 50, according to FAA estimates.

Nick Leontidis, group president, Civil Aviation, CAE said the report revealed the scale of the recruitment challenge facing aviation. “With a need for 1.3 million people by 2032, CAE’s Aviation Talent Forecast is a call to action for the industry to promote careers in aviation to the next generation to reach out to underrepresented communities and develop innovative support programmes to expand the pool of talent needed for the continued growth and safety of our industry,” he said.

As the growth in business aviation overtakes pre-pandemic levels and commercial aviation nears full recovery, new ways will be needed to find and retain staff. “CAE’s Aviation Talent Forecast shows that the demand will continue to grow and the industry will have to come together and find creative ways to ensure a steady pipeline of highly trained personnel for the next 10 years and beyond,” said Leontidis.

The business aviation fleet is predicted to grow by 18% in the years to 2032, from 22,000 to 26,000 aircraft. By contrast, the commercial airline fleet will achieve 39% growth to reach 43,000 jets.

The report identifies how many people will be needed in each region over the next decade, reasons for the high demand and what the industry can do to attract talent. It also offers insight on the industry’s use of advanced training, sustainable practices, and diversity recruitment. Highlighted are the roles of technology in shaping the industry, the importance of sustainability and the impact of diversity in filling the talent pipeline.

According to the report’s introduction: “The ebbs and flows we have seen in the industry, especially post pandemic, have reinforced that people will always need to travel for business, want to fly away for leisure, and millions will be attracted the excitement generated by a career in aviation.” Read more at  the 2023 Aviation Talent Forecast.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, Airbus has confirmed it is on track to recruit more than 13,000 employees worldwide this year. So far, 7,000 new staff have been recruited despite a challenging labour market, said the manufacturer. Plans are underway to fill the remaining positions with recruits playing key roles in boosting production ramp-up and delivering the company’s decarbonisation goals, it said.

Thierry Baril, chief Human Resources & Workplace officer, Airbus said: “Our recruitment efforts are paying-off and will continue to support our production ramp-up and company transformation. We are focused on attracting, training and developing the best diverse talents in our company to help us shape the future of sustainable aerospace.”

The company is offering job opportunities in manufacturing, engineering and disciplines including: cybersecurity, software engineering and new propulsion technologies such as hydrogen, cryogenics and fuel cells. A third of the total recruitment will be allocated to recent graduates.

Aviation’s recruitment needs – in numbers

Business aviation: 106,000 new recruits

• 32,000: Extra pilots
• 74,000: Maintenance technicians.

Commercial aviation: 1.18m new recruits

• 252,000: Extra pilots
• 328,000: Maintenance technicians
• 599,000: Cabin crew.

Source: CAE.

Top: Business aviation needs to recruit 32,000 pilots and 74,000 maintenance technicians by 2032.

Above: Airbus has confirmed it is on track to recruit over 13,000 employees worldwide this year. 

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The new facility, initially accommodating six flight simulators including the first Bombardier Global 7500 full-flight simulator in Europe, will eventually expand to nine simulators. “The new centre will make pilot training on this popular aircraft type and others in high demand more accessible at a convenient for operators in the region,” said Alexandre Prevost, vice president, CAE.

In addition to the Global 7500 simulator, the new 8,000sqm site will also offer training in Global 5000 and Global 6000 Vision training, which will mark the sixth location worldwide for such simulator training. The other types of simulator, from other aircraft manufacturers, destined for deployment at the Vienna centre will be revealed later.

“The Vienna central Europe training centre is the latest in a series of moves to rapidly expand our business aviation training network to meet the growing demand,” said Prevost.

Nick Leontidis, group president, Civil Aviation added: “CAE is another example of the significant investments we are making to bring business aviation training closer to where our customers operate their aircraft.”

Last November, the flight training company launched training at CAE Singapore on a newly-installed Gulfstream G650 full-flight simulator. In April 2023, it opened the first West Coast business aviation training centre in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is also in the final stages of building a new training centre in Lake Nona, Florida in partnership with SIMCOM Aviation Training. The centre will offer training in a new Challenger 350 and add a second Praetor 600 to its training programme. The Lake Nona facility and a training centre at Savannah Georgia are both due to begin operations in the second half of this year. Pictured is part of CAE full-flight simulator range.

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The flight training company said the new facility will have six full-flight simulators which offer advanced pilot training on the latest light and large-cabin business jets. The company has not yet announced the country for the new hub.

“CAE’S new training centre in Central Europe will add much-needed training capacity in the region and bring us closer to where our customers operate their aircraft,” said Nick Leontidis, group president of Civil Aviation, CAE. “CAE is expanding its business aviation training network in strategic locations to help the industry meet the global requirement for an additional 45,000 business aviation pilots over the next ten years.”

CAE currently has 20 training locations for pilots, crew and maintenance across Europe, including a business aviation pilot training centre in London.

Earlier this month, CAE opened its first US West Coast business aviation training centre in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a new facility in Savannah, Georgia set to open later this year.

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The move is part of the Embraer-CAE Training Services (ECTS) joint venture, that aims to meet the growing demand for business jet training in the US.

“With partners like Embraer, we are expanding our network and increasing capacity to meet the growing demand for business jet pilots,” said Nick Leontidis, president, Civil Aviation, CAE. “We are very happy to see our partnership with Embraer grow with the addition of a new Phenom series simulator to our training network and the first in Las Vegas.”

CAE said that the flight simulator is key to training pilots for business aviation. That is because the Phenom 300 series has been the best-selling light jet worldwide for 11 years in a row and has more than 700 units in operation, it said.

Johann Bordais, president and CEO, Services & Support Embraer added that in addition to the flight simulator in Nevada, there are six Phenom-series simulators operating in Dallas, Texas, at its London Burgess Hill facility and in Guarulhos, south-eastern Brazil. 

“Offering additional capacity for pilot training is part of our strategy to provide the best services to the market,” said Bordais. “This new Phenom series simulator is also a milestone in our long-term relationship and we are pleased to be part of the new CAE Las Vegas Training Center.”

The 50,000sq ft (4,600sq m) training centre officially opened yesterday (April 4th). Located in Clark County near Harry Reid International Airport, the centre has the capacity for eight full-flight simulators and will train 2,500 pilots annually

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The 50,000sq ft (4,600sq m) is the firm’s first training centre on the US West Coast, located in Clark County near Harry Reid International Airport. The centre has the capacity for up to eight full-flight simulators, seven of which are already in operation.

The new centre will train 2,500 pilots annually to help meet the high demand and keep customers flying, according to CAE.

There is an annual shortfall in the number of US pilots of 5,000, according to consultancy Flight Path Economics. About 60,000 pilots currently working in large network and cargo carriers are expected to retire by 2030, the consultant said.

In February, CAE reported that it made $1bn in revenue in the third quarter (Q3) of the fiscal year 2023, up from $849m the previous year. The company made an operating income of $146m in the same period, more than doubling from $66m in Q3 2022. During the quarter, CAE signed training contracts values at $713m for the business aviation and airlines sector, including a long-term business aviation training agreement with Delux Public Charter.

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Nick Leontidis, CAE’s  group  president, Civil Aviation Training Solutions, said: ““Over the past two years, CAE has been focused on unifying a digital flight operations ecosystem with the goal of delivering a holistic suite of solutions designed to improve operations and enhance crew experience. As they prepare for return to flight, crew members will be able to manage and schedule their activities more effectively and operators will have integrated tools to connect and engage with crews like never before,”

Following CAE’s acquisition of Merlot Aero’s crew management and optimisation software in December of last year, the addition of RB Group provides the firm with digital tools that improve operations and crew work-life balance. The list of applications includes a digital logbook, and the crew engagement RosterBuster app.

With over 400,000 users globally and over 500 airlines currently supported, the RosterBuster crew app allows aviation professionals to access instant information, connect to their airline operations, and communicate with fellow crew members.

Find out more about CAE’s pilot and crew apps and Crew Management System here.

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