Emirates opens £100m pilot training centre in Dubai

Emirates has opened a new £100m crew training centre in Dubai, expanding its annual pilot training capacity by more than 50 per cent as the airline prepares for the arrival of Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X airliners.

The facility houses six full flight simulator bays and is located near Emirates’ other training centres. It will add 45,000 training hours, taking the airline’s total annual capacity to 130,000 hours once fully operational.

Chairman and Chief Executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum described the investment as a ‘gamechanger’ for Emirates and the wider aviation industry. “The centre sets new firsts and serves as best-in-class in aviation training,” he said.

This is what a full-flight simulator looks like! This is one of six Emirates has on order

… and here’s what it’s like in the cockpit

Two A350 simulators are already in use, with four more, including Boeing 777X models, due within two years. Each simulator can deliver 7,500 hours of training for up to 1,000 pilots annually. In total, Emirates will have 17 simulators, including those used for A380 and Boeing 777 training.

The facility incorporates an in-house designed Pilot Support Station, allowing pilots to configure flight decks and build flight plans before simulator sessions. Training is fully recorded, enabling detailed performance reviews. Emirates said the innovation improves learning outcomes and streamlines preparation.

The centre also features 3D printing capabilities to manufacture complex parts for training equipment, generating annual savings of up to AED 1m (£200m).

Emirates’ first A350 simulator has been awarded Level D certification, the highest available, by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). It is the first globally at Airbus A350 Standard 1.3 to achieve the qualification with zero findings.

Alongside the simulators, the centre includes four classrooms to support recurrent, conversion and command training. The new facility complements Emirates’ existing aviation education network in Dubai, which includes the Flight Training Academy, Aviation University, Cabin Crew Training Centre and Aviation College.

Emirates is currently recruiting pilots through its Direct Entry Captain, Accelerated Command and First Officer programmes as it prepares for the expansion of its fleet.