Nigel Moll

Flight training group CAE is big and getting bigger in the growing Asian market, according to Jeff Roberts, group president of civil simulation products, training and services. The Canadian company has 16 training locations in the Asia Pacific region, and 16 of the 30 full-flight simulators sold in the current financial year (which ends next month) will earn their keep in the region–a clear indication that this part of the world has a healthy appetite for training aviation professionals.


A <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/nbaa-convention-news/2010-10-17/honeywell-forecasts-end-downturn-growth-returning">Boeing forecast</a> in September 2010 predicted that the region will require 180,600 pilots and 220,000 mechanics over the next 20 years. No other region has greater needs, and within the Asia Pacific region China will employ the largest numbers (70,600 and 96,400, respectively), according to Boeing. Asia Pacific demand in FY2012 continues a trend evident at CAE for at least the past five years, with the region taking 13 of 37 full-flight simulators sold in FY08, 15 of 34 sold in FY09, 11 of 20 sold in FY10 and 16 of 29 sold in FY11.


Broadly speaking, CAE’s total revenue is split roughly 50:50 between civil and military aviation, and within each of those two segments the company derives half its income from products and half from training and services. But according to results for the third quarter of FY2012 published last week, the civil side of the business is growing faster (at around 13 percent) than the military (1 percent).


Within the last five years, CAE has opened training centers in India (at Rae Bareli, in conjunction with the Indian government; at Gondia, with the Airports Authority of India; in Bengaluru, with CAE’s own training center; and also in Bengaluru, a helicopter simulator training facility with HAL), Australia (Perth, in a joint venture with China Southern Airlines) and Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, in a joint venture with Air Asia).


Announced recently and yet to become operational are training centers in the Philippines (Manila, due to open this year in a joint venture with Cebu Pacific Air), Australia (a business aviation training center in Melbourne, due to open within the next four months and specializing initially with the Beech King Air 350 equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics), India (Delhi, due to open by next year in a joint venture with InterGlobe Enterprises) and, in a location yet to be decided, a CAE Asia business aviation training center to be up and running by 2013. CAE has ab initio training facilities in India (two), Australia and Malaysia, operating Diamond and Cessna piston aircraft and Daher-Socata TBM turboprops.


&nbsp;


CAE simulators sold in FY2012 for duty in Asia Pacific


Air China A320, B737


Alpha Aviation Group, Clark training academy A320


Asian Aviation Centre of Excellence (CAE-AirAsia JV) A320


CAE Global Academy Perth (CAE-China Southern JV) Phenom 100


Cathay Pacific B777-300ER


Cebu Pacific A320


Garuda Indonesia A330, B737NG


Qantas Airways A380


Shandong Airlines B737


Shanghai Eastern Flight Training Centre (China Eastern) A320, B737


Skymark Airlines A380


Thai Airways (first FFS sale to Thai) A380


Zhuhai Flight Training Centre (CAE-China Southern JV) A320, B737NG


&nbsp;

CAE Expands Its Training Footprint In Asia Pacific

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Singapore Air Show 2012

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN