Boeing and Emirates announce partnership to address demand for pilots

Emirates Flight Training Academy, the flight training facility developed by Emirates airline to respond to the industry’s growing need for pilots, has signed an agreement with Boeing under which both organisations will collaborate on a training curriculum to help train pilot cadets.

The Academy, currently under construction at Al Maktoum International Airport- Dubai World Central (DWC) and scheduled to open in October 2016, will be able to accommodate over 600 students at a time once fully operational.

“We are leveraging Boeing’s expertise in airline pilot training to identify opportunities to enhance the Academy’s curriculum” said Captain Alan Stealey, principal, Emirates Flight Training Academy. “Our programme is designed to produce career-ready pilots. Exceeding regulatory requirements, the curriculum will, for instance, see cadets complete at least 1,100 hours of ground and 315 hours of flight training using a competency-focused approach,” he added.

Under the agreement with Boeing, Emirates Flight Training Academy will receive an integrated software system, based on the Peters Software system acquired by Boeing, for managing cadet learning and training flight operations, as well an enhanced curriculum customised for Emirates. According to Boeing, cadets will learn with highly interactive digital content delivered in purpose-designed classrooms and on personal tablets.

“The program developed by Boeing will enhance the Emirates Flight Training Academy be efficient in its training of pilot cadets by integrating everything the academy needs into on place,” said Sherry Carbary, vice president Boeing Flight Services. “Boeing has forecasted that the industry will need 617,000 pilots by 2035. We are dedicated to work with customers to create programs to help fill that demand.”

The airline’s Flight Training Academy will initially focus on cadets in Emirates’ existing National Cadet Pilot Training Programme for UAE nationals. However, the Academy intends to welcome international cadet pilots in the near future.