AirAsia Signs 5-year Multi-Crew Pilot License Training Contract with CAE

AirAsia has signed a five-year contract with CAE, which will see hundreds of additional new AirAsia A320 First Officers be trained by CAE in a competency-based Multi-crew Pilot License (MPL) program to be conducted at training locations in Asia.

“AirAsia’s growth requires a steady supply of highly qualified and well trained pilots and other skilled aviation personnel. The CAE program is the world’s premier MPL training curriculum, and we have seen first-hand in our flight operations that it is producing the next generation of pilots who will fly safely and efficiently. AirAsia has grown from two to 100 aircraft in a short 10 years, and progressed into a mature organization today which enables us to commit and invest in training the next generation of aviation personnel,” said Tony Fernandes, Group Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia.

The first AirAsia-sponsored CAE MPL cadets graduated on schedule last summer and are successfully flying revenue flights for the airline as A320 First Officers. A second AirAsia-sponsored MPL class is currently training at CAE; they are scheduled to graduate this second half of the year.

“We commend AirAsia for their commitment to competency-based cadet training,” said Jeff Roberts, CAE Group President, Civil Simulation Products, Training and Services. “Their decision is validation that the new First Officers have met or exceeded every expectation, and a testament to the systematic rigor and high-quality governance which the CAE MPL team designed and implemented throughout this innovative program. The standards are the highest in the world for an MPL program.”

All four phases of the MPL training will be conducted in Asia, including the Asian Aviation Centre of Excellence (AACOE) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which was formerly known as the AirAsia Academy. The new AACOE airline training facility was launched in 2011 and is a joint venture of AirAsia and CAE.

The CAE MPL programs are based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines. The program objective is to deliver a best-in-class competency-based training program that provides airlines with pilots who are validated to safely and efficiently operate a modern multi-crew, multi-engine, turbine-powered commercial transport aircraft in all expected operational environments.

The CAE MPL programs feature a blended training methodology, rigorous cadet selection process, integrated Aviation English Language training, emphasis on crew resource management and threat/error management, and airline operating procedures throughout.

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