Wizz Air has opened a new pilot training centre at Rome Fiumicino Airport, serving as the airline’s second centre after its Budapest-based facility.
The new centre is expected to train over 4,800 pilots a year and opened on 1 October 2024, inaugurated by Wizz Air’s CEO and CAE’s Vice President. It covers 2,500 square metres and provides briefing rooms, theoretical training spaces, and a simulator hall with two CAE A320 family full-flight simulators and a third due to arrive in 2025.
“This new hi-tech training centre, developed within our starred Airport thanks to a significant investment by one of the fastest-growing carriers in Europe, demonstrates the attractiveness of Fiumicino on the aeronautical market as a base for long-term development,” said Marco Troncone, CEO of Aeroporti di Roma. “This new project, which we hope will also build up new professional opportunities for the territory and its community, perfectly fits into our strategic vision where innovation and the development of human capital represent fundamental cornerstones for achieving sustainable development in the medium and long run.”
CAE’s simulators include features such as high-fidelity visuals, an immersive cockpit environment, and realistic flight dynamics, and they will allow Wizz Air’s pilots to undergo their annual training. The construction of the new Rome centre follows the success of the Budapest facility, which has provided 98,000 hours of flight training since it opened six years ago.
“This new training centre in Rome signifies Wizz Air’s commitment to investing in the future of aviation and our employees,” Jozsef Varadi, Wizz Air’s CEO, commented. “Our pilots are at the heart of our operations, and this facility will ensure that they continue to receive the most advanced, rigorous training possible. This investment in Italy, one of the key markets for Wizz Air, where we already have five bases employing over 1,000 crew members and over 20 most efficient single-aisle aircraft with the best sustainability indicators in its class, further solidifies our long-term presence in the region.”
Currently, Wizz Air operates a fleet of over 206 Airbus A320 family aircraft.
Photo: Wizz Air
