23 Jun 2015 11:00
Etihad Flight College, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has signed a purchase agreement for four Embraer Phenom 100E aircraft, and options for three additional aircraft of the same model.
The deal is valued at about US$30 million, based on
current list prices, if all options are exercised, and deliveries of the
aircraft to Etihad Flight College will start in Q1 2016.
Based in Al Ain, the Etihad Flight College was
established to train ab-initio pilots for the airline’s rapidly expanding
fleet, and currently provides fixed wing training for up to 120 Emirati and
international cadets annually.
The delivery of the
four new Embraer
Phenom 100E aircraft will bring to 20 the number of aircraft
in the trainer fleet, which also includes 10 Cessna
172SP Skyhawk and six Diamond DA42NG aircraft.
“As the national
airline of the UAE, it is vital for us to establish a world-class training
facility to support the training and manpower development of the local Emirati
workforce, while also providing a source of well-trained, highly-skilled pilots
for our growing operations,” said Richard Hill, Etihad Airways’ Chief Operations Officer.
"The Phenom 100E’s airline-grade
technology, performance and reliability make it an ideal initial training
platform to prepare our cadets for line operations.
“We are very pleased with the selection of the
Phenom 100E by Etihad Flight College,” said Marco Túlio Pellegrini, President and
CEO, Embraer Executive Jets. “The Phenom 100E has proven to be the ideal
aircraft for jet pilot training, delivering advanced cockpit technology, along
with high performance and high reliability, at a low operating cost.”
The Etihad Flight College is the first
organisation in the world to use multi-engine aircraft in the core phase of its
innovative Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL) training program, ensuring
students are provided with the core
competencies required of an airline pilot in today’s ever-changing aviation
marketplace.
The
MPL program focuses on relevant and airline operator-specific training, rather
than the traditional model of general aviation-focused training in a generic
format. It produces pilots with not only
the skills to fly a modern commercial aircraft to the most exacting standards,
but the competencies and attitudes required of a professional pilot as well.
Etihad Airways
currently employs over 2,200 pilots and operates a fleet of 116 Airbus and
Boeing aircraft, with over 200 additional aircraft on firm order.