Qantas has unveiled its new flight training facility adjacent to Brisbane Airport that can accommodate up to 900 pilots a year and will also be accessible to other airlines in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Qantas Group Flight Training Centre, which houses four state-of-the-art aircraft simulators – Boeing 737, 767F and 787 Dreamliner and Dash-8 Q400 plus a Q400 flight training device, used to be located in Sydney. The facility had to be moved to Brisbane to make way for the major road work taking place around Sydney Airport.
Queensland is currently home to more than 500 Qantas pilots who will now have access to the new Brisbane-based training facility for their recurrent training, along with other pilots from neighbouring states and future recruits.
The new training facility will also complement the pilot academy which recently opened in Toowoomba. The new academy which can train up to 250 pilots per year can now have its student pilots go straight to the new facility instead of completing their training program in Sydney.
“We are pleased this state-of-the-art facility in Brisbane will mean a pilot can start their career at the Toowoomba Pilot Training Academy, complete their training at the Brisbane simulator centre and then embark on a Qantas Group career flying from their Queensland home base to everywhere from Longreach to Los Angeles,” Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said
The facility will also be opened to other airlines in the Asia-Pacific region, which means that small flag carriers can now take advantage of the new training facility’s simulators for new-recruit training, tenured pilots’ upskilling, and ongoing training.
The transfer of the training facility to Brisbane Airport was made possible through the State Government’s support. Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said that the partnership brings “extra aviation training capability to Queensland and creates new employment opportunities for training pilots and simulator technicians, including 18 new direct operational jobs.”
“This suite of flight training simulators reinforces Queensland’s pre-eminence as a destination of choice for the aerospace and aviation support industries,” Mr Dick said.
“In a state as vast as Queensland, with our proximity to Asia and the Pacific, aviation industries are a natural fit. Our government is determined to make the most of our competitive advantages when it comes to attracting aerospace companies and aerospace jobs, right across Queensland.
“These simulators mean Queensland-based flight crew don’t have to leave the state to complete their ongoing training.”