Boeing and Cathay Pacific Host 2026 CBTA/EBT Conference with More Than 20 Airlines

Global – Boeing and Cathay Pacific jointly hosted a three-day Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) / Evidence-Based Training (EBT) Conference from September 16-18, 2026, bringing together representatives from more than 20 airlines across multiple regions. Held under the theme “Implementing the Total System Approach,” the conference focused on practical experience moving from initial CBTA/EBT adoption through data-driven recurrent training and more mature EBT implementation.

• The conference was structured around three stages.
  • Day one focused on why operators are changing their training systems and lessons from airlines already implementing CBTA/EBT;
  • Day two examined how organisations progress from initial CBTA/EBT through Mixed EBT toward mature Baseline EBT;
  • Day three was structured around individual discussions, practical implementation advice and collaboration.
• Boeing describes CBTA and EBT as complementary frameworks. CBTA focuses training and assessment on observable, measurable pilot competencies, while EBT uses operational evidence and data to determine relevant training priorities and scenarios.
• A conference highlight was a joint presentation involving Captain Daniele Grassini of easyJet and Captain Kevin Liu of Shandong Airlines. Their session addressed the use of artificial intelligence to support EBT data analysis, the use of data to design recurrent training programs and the implementation of digital training solutions.
• Boeing's broader “Total System Approach” connects CBTA and EBT with Safety Data Analytics and competency mapping, using operational and training data to identify areas of risk and feed those findings back into pilot training. The manufacturer states that the model is intended to create a connected training and safety system rather than treating recurrent training, operational data and safety-management activity as separate processes.
• Data collection is particularly relevant as operators move beyond Baseline EBT. Boeing's framework describes Enhanced EBT as a future state in which training is increasingly adapted using operational evidence, competency data and continuous analysis rather than relying solely on a standardized baseline recurrent-training curriculum.
• The event followed other regional activity around EBT during the same week. The 2026 Asia Airline EBT/CBTA Symposium in Taiwan on September 15 included sessions covering AI applications in airline training, Enhanced EBT, training-data analysis, Flight Operational Quality Assurance data and transition of type-rating training toward CBTA frameworks.
• AFM previously reported that Boeing held a CBTA/EBT workshop in Tokyo in June 2026 involving the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and Japanese airline operators. That event similarly focused on operators sharing implementation challenges and experience while Boeing presented its developing CBTA/EBT support framework, indicating continued OEM engagement with airlines on competency-based training implementation across Asia-Pacific. (see more here on afm.aero)

Source: Cathay Pacific