CAE announces ab-initio pilot training and resourcing agreements with commercial airlines

Montreal, Quebec. 02 June 2016. Building on the demand of commercial airlines for more professional pilots, CAE has signed new and extended cadet training agreements.

IndiGo, India’s largest and fastest growing low-fare airline has signed a new ab-initio pilot training contract with CAE for the creation of over 200 additional professional pilots through 2018. As part of the airline’s training footprint expansion, one new international training pathway will allow selected candidates to pursue a professional pilot career with IndiGo and complete their training program at CAE Oxford Aviation Academy in either Gondia (NFTI), India or Melbourne, Australia starting in the fall of 2016. To date, CAE has trained more than 250 cadets for IndiGo.

CityJet, the Irish airline has selected CAE for the delivery of a new EASA ATPL Integrated Training programme as part of the Climb High Mentored Cadet Programme. Ten cadets will begin training by the end of 2016 at CAE Oxford Aviation Academy in Oxford, UK and Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Upon completion of their training, the selected candidates will be employed by CityJet.

Shenzhen Airlines,  following the program renewal announced in December 2015, further extended its ab-initio training program with CAE. Under the renewed agreement, CAE will now bring the total number of additional cadets to be selected, assessed and trained to more than 100. Cadets began training at the CAE Oxford Aviation Academy in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, in December 2015. Shenzhen Airlines has been a customer of CAE since 2013 and has been creating pilots through the ab-initio program for the last 2 years.

Norwegian Airlines in partnership with OSM Aviation, CAE now provides crew resourcing services to support Norwegian Airlines’ growing pilot personnel needs. The assessment and recruitment campaign began in London, UK at the end of April 2016. As part of the agreement, more than 20 CAE Oxford Aviation Academy selected graduates will become First Officers with OSM’s largest customer, Norwegian, starting Fall 2016.

Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) since the beginning of the year, over 20 new cadets selected CAE Oxford Aviation Academy as part of the new edition of the Modular Waypoint Plus Pilot Programme in partnership with Buckinghamshire New University (BNU). Training of the next group of students is due to start in August 2016 in Oxford, UK followed by hours building and CPL training in Phoenix, USA.

“We are very proud to help our cadets achieve their professional pilot careers while supporting the training needs of our commercial airlines partners,” said Nick Leontidis, Group President, Civil Aviation Training Solutions.