Simaero has opened its new, state of the art, US$70 million training centre in Changsha, China. The centre will commence operations in March 2024, and marks a significant milestone in Simaero’s expansion in China.
The training centre is situated near Changsha Huanghua International Airport, operating under the name Hunan Hongyi. It is the first training centre in the Hunan Province, offering accessibility for both local and international airlines to address their growing demands for pilot training.
The centre can host six full-flight simulators (FSS), along with classrooms, debriefing rooms and a pilot rest area.
The first full-flight simulator – an A320neo/ceo simulator manufactured by China Simulation Sciences – has already been installed in the centre, and will be active upon its opening. It has already been certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and will apply for certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in the coming months.
The business plan for the simulator centre, a Simaero spokesperson told LARA, is to include a second FFS for the A320 ceo/neo and a Boeing 737 MAX FFS, as well as simulators for helicopters like the AW 139. It also plans to train pilots on Chinese aircraft, such as COMAC’s C919 aircraft.
Its main client in China is regional airline Air Travel. With the first simulator, it will be able to train 300 to 400 pilots per year across a range of airlines, the spokesperson added. There are also plans to open two additional training centres in China, with the objective of training 5,000 Chinese airline pilots per year.
“The opening of the Changsha training center is a major milestone in our development in China,” said Nicolas Mouté, CEO of Simaero. “It underscores our dedication to investing in aviation training in the country and, in particular, in the Hunan region.”
“This marks a new chapter in the development of Simaero China, affirming the vast potential we recognize in this country,” added Lei Jiang, General Manager of Simaero China.
Image credit: Simaero
