First of Emirates crew complete A350 training ahead of aircraft’s entry into service
October 10, 2024
In preparation for the highly anticipated arrival of Airbus A350s to its fleet, Emirates has invested approximately US$48 million in state-of-the-art equipment and systems to train its pilots and cabin crew.
Having postponed the aircraft’s entry into service due to delivery delays, Emirates is due to receive its first Airbus A350 order this month. The investment in training equipment includes three full flight simulators integrated with pilot support systems (PSS) which was fully conceptualised in-house by Emirates, as well as a fixed base training device, cabin emergency evacuation trainer and a door trainer.
Around 30 pilots and 820 cabin crew members have already undergone training and by the end of November more than 50 pilots will have completed their A350 full-flight simulator training prior to the aircraft’s entry into service.
“Spearheading innovation is at the core of Emirates’ DNA and that is reflected in our newly acquired A350 training equipment suites and our advanced pilot training facility set to open later in the year,’ said Capt. Bader Al Marzooqi, Emirates’ SVP flight training.
Citing the airline’s pride in its ability to expand its pilot training capacity by 54%, he added “with our investments in the new simulators and systems, our pilots and cabin crew are equipped, trained and supremely confident to manage any operational challenge safely and competently.”
The airline has ordered three full flight simulators for its A350 fleet. The first received a level D qualification, -the highest for this type of simulator, from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), while the second is currently in its onsite acceptance stage and is due to receive EASA approval in November.
Later this year and in line with its planned fleet expansion which currently includes an order book of 65 A350s and 205 777Xs, Emirates is set to open an advanced pilot training facility which can house six simulator bays for its A350 and Boeing 777X aircraft. Across its training facilities the airline will have 17 full flight simulators offering a capacity of more than 130,000 training hours a year.
Earlier this year, Emirates announced the first set of destinations to be served by its A350 aircraft with Bahrain as its inaugural destination. Flights to Kuwait, Muscat, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Colombo, Lyon, Bologna and Edinburgh will also be operated on the A350 in the coming months, with additional routes to be announced as new aircraft join its fleet.
Speaking previously, Adnan Kazim, Emirates Airline Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said: “The A350 will be a game-changer for Emirates, enabling us to serve regional points with superior operating efficiency and flexibility across the Middle East and GCC, West Asia and Europe. With the latest generation cabin products including more of our sought-after Premium Economy to more cities, top-notch in-flight entertainment technologies and an abundance of other customer-friendly features, the Emirates A350 builds on our long-standing commitment of investing in the very best customer experience in the sky.
