19 November 2024
Australian airline Qantas has a brand new flight training centre in Sydney where thousands of new and existing pilots will train each year.
The state-of-the-art facility in St Peters near Sydney Airport is now home to five full-flight simulators, three fixed training devices and ten classrooms.
Further training equipment will arrive in the coming years, including Australia’s first Airbus A350 simulator. The A350 is Qantas’ choice for ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise flights from Australia’s east coast to New York and Europe due to start in 2026.
Training company CAE will operate the new centre and maintain all training equipment.
Qantas new simulator training centre in Sydney
Senior Qantas and Jetstar training captains will continue to train pilots from both airlines, with pilots typically undertaking four simulator sessions per year to remain current in their formal qualifications and up to 15 sessions when training for a new aircraft type.
Pilots and cabin crew will also complete their ground training at the St Peter’s centre with emergency procedures equipment and aircraft cabin mock-ups until mid-2026 when Qantas opens a new dedicated ground training facility in Mascot.
Qantas’ first group of A321XLR pilots are currently undertaking their training at the Sydney centre ahead of the first aircraft arrival in 2025.
A320 full motion simulator
The opening of the centre follows a recent major investment in skills and training that includes a new Qantas Group Safety Academy, a $40 million investment in new ground training facilities and equipment across the country, and the doubling of Qantas Group Pilot Academy scholarships in 2025.
CEO Qantas International Cam Wallace said, “We have more than a hundred new aircraft on order for Qantas and Jetstar which create significant opportunities for our people and Australia’s aviation industry and the huge demand for crew training will be supported by the new flight training centre.”
