Tuesday, August 27, 2024 airBaltic is enhancing its pilot training with a second Airbus A220 simulator, boosting capacity and supporting its growing fleet and Pilot Academy. Latvia’s national airline, airBaltic, is preparing to bolster its training resources by acquiring a second Airbus A220 full flight simulator, expected to arrive in the last quarter of 2024. This new simulator will play a crucial role in enhancing the airline’s capacity to train and certify its growing pool of pilots, aligning with both its fleet expansion plans and the ongoing progress of its Pilot Academy.
With airBaltic’s expansion efforts well underway, the airline currently operates 48 aircraft and anticipates adding 10 more by 2025. This growth has led to a heightened demand for pilot training. As the number of aircraft increases, so does the need for more pilots, necessitating advanced training facilities.
The introduction of a second simulator represents a key investment in meeting these expanding training requirements. Martin Gauss, CEO and President of airBaltic : “The addition of a second Airbus A220 simulator is a significant step forward in our continuous effort to provide world-class training for our pilots. As our fleet and operations grow, so does our commitment to ensuring the highest standards of safety, efficiency, and excellence in pilot training.
This investment not only supports the future growth of airBaltic, but also strengthens our position as a key player in the global aviation industry.” The new simulator will provide 6,000 hours of operational availability annually, aiming for optimal use between 5,500 and 6,000 hours. This time will be dedicated to both recurrent and initial pilot training, along with necessary technical maintenance to maintain peak performance.
Beyond supporting airBaltic’s expanding fleet, the new simulator will offer advanced training opportunities for technical staff and enhance the curriculum of the airBaltic Pilot Academy, particularly in specialized areas like the Multi-Crew Cooperation (MCC) course. Additionally, the availability of a second simulator enables airBaltic to rent out training slots to other airlines, ensuring maximum utilization of this cutting-edge facility. With only two full flight simulators for the Airbus A220 in Northern Europe, including airBaltic’s, this expansion further establishes the airline as a premier training center in the region.
Other similar simulators are located in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and France. Soon, airBaltic will have two fully equipped simulators that meet the latest European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issue 2 requirements, featuring advanced capabilities like Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) and Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT). Both simulators are outfitted with a 60-inch Stroke Electric Motion System and a state-of-the-art visual setup, including four-megapixel LED projector systems and dual head-up displays.
The CAE 7000XR Series Full Flight Simulator (FFS), equipped with the CAE TroposTM 6000XR visual system, will cater to the increasing demand for pilot training at airBaltic Training. Currently, the airBaltic Pilot Academy has 136 active students, primarily from the Baltic countries, but also from other EU nations like Denmark, Germany, France, Finland, Spain, and Italy. Over 10% of the academy’s students are women.
To date, 112 graduates have joined airBaltic as pilots. airBaltic operates more than 130 routes from hubs in Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, and Tampere, with seasonal services from Gran Canaria, connecting passengers to numerous destinations across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Caucasus region..
