A new campus for pilot training was inaugurated by Airbus Flight Academy Europe (AFAE), a 100% subsidiary of Airbus, in Angoulême, South-West France. It was also during the said ceremony that Airbus confirmed Volotea, the Barcelona-based airline, is the first to recruit its Airbus pilot cadets.
The move by Volotea to recruit eleven of Airbus’ newly graduated pilot cadets is an endorsement of the quality of Airbus’ Ab-Initio Training Programme, which opened its doors in 2019. The program equips cadets with the skills and mindset required to become an “operationally-ready pilot” focusing on the all-important development of key pilot technical and behavioral competencies. Currently, in the final stages of their pilot training, the Airbus cadets will be joining Volotea and flying as commercial airline pilots from April-May this year.
“This is a very important day for Volotea, as we are taking cadets directly from the Airbus Flight Academy Europe for the first time. We’re all very excited by it as we know the program quality is of a very high standard, adapting perfectly to Volotea’s training philosophy. Our company keeps on growing year after year our Airbus fleet, and we’re going to be needing many more pilots. We certainly hope this is the beginning of a very successful long-term partnership with the Airbus Flight Academy benefiting many young pilots,” according to Carlos Muñoz, CEO of Volotea.
The inauguration of the new facility provides AFAE, which is the first flight school to deliver the Airbus Pilot Cadet Training Programme in Europe, with an increased capacity to train up to 200 pilot cadets at any one time. The site, which spans 4.7 hectares, includes a new building of approximately 3,200 square meters that will be dedicated to the training of aspiring pilots with 14 classrooms and briefing rooms, a simulator hall, an auditorium, and a restaurant.
By enlarging its ab-initio training base, Airbus reaffirms its longstanding commitment to supporting its airline customers in anticipating and preparing for the future. In helping to train the pilots of tomorrow, a demand now estimated to be around 550,000 over the next 20 years, Airbus is ensuring the commercial aircraft industry is ready for air traffic recovery in the 2023-2025 timeframe and the years beyond.
The move to a new campus is also the opportunity for AFAE to commit to and align with Airbus’ global approach to sustainability. The first step was the achievement of ISO 14001 certification for the site in 2021. AFAE now turns its efforts to focus on a reduction of CO2 emissions of its training aircraft fleet -an order for the more fuel-efficient, quieter Elixir light aircraft is ongoing to complement the current Cirrus fleet, as well as ensuring a decarbonized environmental footprint in terms of its physical sites and supply chain.
Going forward AFAE stands ready to adapt its operations in line with Airbus’ long term zero-emission ambition, all the while ensuring that it maintains the comprehensive and innovative approach to training that Airbus has been renowned for over the past 50 years, via the regular introduction of the latest technologies and learning concepts, including environmental education from Day 1.
The Airbus Pilot Cadet Training Programme is open to high school graduates over 18 years old worldwide. Candidates will undergo online and on-site screening tests before being eligible for training which will include 750+ hours of ground school, plus 200 hours of practical (flight and simulator) training.