Emirates currently has 115 Boeing 777X and 50 Airbus A350-900s on order which are due for delivery from 2024 onwards. In anticipation of their arrival, the flag-carrying airline is to build new training facilities which will incorporate six new full-flight simulator (FFS) bays. This will expand the annual throughput of new pilots at Emirates’ training facilities in Dubai by 54% at an estimated cost of US$135 million (£112 million).
The new facilities will be located adjacent to the existing training facilities and in close proximity to all the other pilot training centres. Across the airline’s entire training buildings, Emirates’ trainee and qualified pilots will have increased flexibility and facilities to hone their flying skills with a total of 17 full-flight simulator bays offering a capacity of more than 130,000 training hours a year. Completion of the new training facilities should be in mid-2024, to coincide with the delivery of the first of the Airbus A-350 aircraft.
Trainee pilots will also benefit from being able to set up and configure the cockpit environment using bespoke devices as part of their training module and upload the data to the FFS prior to commencing each training session. This innovative, first-of-its-kind concept is designed to shorten the trainee’s preparatory time inside the simulator, while helping them to remain focused.
In addition to state-of-the-art training facilities for its flight deck crew, Emirates provides a range of world-class training and development programmes for its workforce and for other aviation professionals. In Dubai, these include: the Emirates Flight Training Academy for cadets, Emirates Aviation University, Emirates Cabin Crew Training Centre, and numerous programmes specially created for different segments of its employees.
