Oman Air will embark on a new phase in its expansion programme on 18th November 2015, when it starts construction of the new Oman Air Flight Training Centre (OAFTC). The centre will be located adjacent to Oman Air’s headquarters in Muscat.
Oman Air’s investment in this training facility will add an important milestone in the airline’s contribution towards the development of the Sultanate of Oman. The official signing ceremony of the construction project was held on 5th November. Oman Air will invest RO 3 million in constructing and developing the OAFTC. The completion of the facility is planned to take less than 12 months.
Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air, Paul Gregorowitsch, comments, “The start of the construction of the Oman Air Flight Training Centre marks an important part in the airline’s development. It also represents a major step in the evolution of the Sultanate of Oman’s training capacity. The training centre will offer the very latest facilities and the highest levels of professional guidance. As Oman Air’s fleet and network expansion programme continues, the Oman Air Flight Training Centre will play an increasingly important role in our company’s operations.”
Amongst the facilities provided at the Oman Air Flight Training Centre will be cutting edge flight simulators. In addition to it being a requirement under international flight safety regulations, flight simulator training is essential to the provision of high quality training programmes for pilots. The flight simulators are being supplied by one of the world’s best-known simulator manufacturers, Canada-based TRU-Simulation and Training Company.
Captain Ali Sulaiman Hassan, Chief Officer Flight Operations at Oman Air, adds, “The OAFTC will offer one Full Flight Simulator (FFS) for Airbus 330 training, and another one for Boeing 737 training. In addition, one Flight Training Device (FTD) for Boeing B737 training will be added as a training tool for cadet training programmes.
“Furthermore, the centre will also include the existing training mock-ups required to train Oman Air’s Cabin crew. These include A330 and B737 mock-ups, along with the B787 door trainer. Each of these mock-ups is designed to enable crew to train for, and practice, all the emergency procedures required as part of our Cabin Crew training and qualification courses.
“Furthermore, having the flight simulator trainers close to Oman Air’s premises will support Oman Air’s strategy to ensure cost-effectiveness in all areas of its operations by avoiding expensive excessive training expenses overseas.”
Oman Air places the highest importance on safeguarding and maintaining the safety of all its passengers and crew. The new Training Centre will underline this commitment. Furthermore, OAFTC is expected to provide valuable benefits to the Sultanate of Oman as a whole. These include employment opportunities for Omanis, maintenance of the country’s impressive safety records, improvement of national aviation standards, and the continued achievement of the regulatory requirements of the Public Authority of Civil Aviation (PACA).
Source: aviationbusinessme.com