Market Intelligence: Asia Pacific

Massey University Aviation Chief Appointed as Independent Reviewer Under NZ Civil Aviation Act

New Zealand – Ashok Poduval, Chief Executive of the Te Kura Rererangi School of Aviation at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University, has been appointed as one of three independent reviewers under New Zealand’s newly enacted Civil Aviation Act.

  • The Civil Aviation Act, effective from 5 April 2025, introduces an independent review function to provide aviation sector participants with a fair, efficient, and accessible alternative to court proceedings

  • Ashok Poduval was appointed by Acting Transport Minister Hon James Meager for a three-year term ending 31 March 2028

  • The function is aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability within New Zealand’s aviation regulatory framework by allowing participants to challenge decisions—such as licence suspensions or cancellations—without incurring legal costs

  • Poduval has led Massey University’s School of Aviation since 2005 and recently stepped down as President of the Aviation Industry Association to focus on this new responsibility

Statements:

  • “All three appointees are highly skilled professionals, with decades of aviation and leadership experience… Ashok Poduval is a highly experienced aviation professional,” said Acting Transport Minister Hon James Meager

  • “I believe my work in this role will further enhance the reputation of Massey’s School of Aviation. I am honoured that the Minister has appointed me to this role, and I am looking forward to adding value to the aviation industry in New Zealand,” stated Ashok Poduval

About Massey University School of Aviation
Based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, Te Kura Rererangi – Massey University School of Aviation – is a leading tertiary aviation education institution offering pilot training and aviation management programmes.

Source: Massey University
Photo Credit: Massey University

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Leidos and RMIT Aviation Academy Award AUD 150,000 in 2025 Aviation Scholarships

Australia – Leidos Australia and RMIT University have announced the 2025 recipients of the Leidos Aviation Scholarship at the Avalon Airshow, marking the second year of their strategic collaboration to support aspiring pilots through financial and professional development support.

RMIT Aviation Academy Director Lea Vesic highlighted the impact of the scholarship in preparing students for meaningful aviation careers.

“The Australian aviation industry has an ongoing demand for highly skilled pilots,” Vesic said. “Programs like the Leidos Aviation Scholarship are critical in ensuring we have a strong talent pipeline for the future — not just in the commercial passenger transport sector, but also in critical aviation services such as Search and Rescue operations.

“Our exclusive partnership with Leidos provides students with not just financial support, but access to specialised training that aligns with the unique operational needs of special mission aviation. We’re excited to see our scholarship recipients take the next step towards their careers.“

  • The 2025 Leidos Aviation Scholarship program provides over AUD 150,000 across six scholarships to final-year Aviation degree students at RMIT Aviation Academy

  • The initiative follows a successful inaugural year in which five scholarship recipients graduated and joined Leidos

  • Scholarship recipients attended the Avalon Airshow, gaining direct industry exposure and networking opportunities

  • The program addresses aviation workforce shortages by providing access to flight training and specialist career pathways

  • Focus includes support for critical mission aviation roles such as Search and Rescue, not just commercial airline careers

About Leidos Australia
Leidos Australia delivers advanced solutions across defence, intelligence, and civil sectors. Its Airborne Solutions division operates mission-critical aircraft operations, including surveillance and search and rescue.

About RMIT Aviation Academy
RMIT Aviation Academy, part of RMIT University, is one of Australia’s leading aviation training institutions, offering pilot training and aviation degrees aligned with industry needs.

Source: Leidos

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CAE Launches a New Era in Airline Operations with Flightscape – Powered by CAE

Global – CAE announced that it has rebranded its portfolio of airline operations solutions to Flightscape – Powered by CAE. Flightscape is a data-driven platform for airlines that provides real-time insights to improve operational performance. With Flightscape, CAE is ushering in a new era in operational intelligence, empowering all Operations Control Centre (OCC) stakeholders to prevent disruptions and adapt seamlessly when challenges arise, to optimize operations and costs in even the most complex and time-sensitive situations.

“Flightscape is the ultimate decision-making platform for airlines, powered by CAE. In a dynamic operating environment, airlines need to seize every opportunity to improve performance, reduce costs and optimize resources while enhancing the passenger experience,” said Pascal Grenier, Division President, Flightscape, Airline Operations Solutions. “Flightscape provides real-time insights that enable airlines to adapt to ever-changing conditions.  We recognize that our customers aren’t just buying a solution, they are choosing a long-term partner and our objective with Flightscape is to ensure our airline partners have advanced solutions to optimize their operations.”

Flightscape is the next chapter for CAE’s operations platform. Since entering the airline operations market three years ago, CAE has transformed the business and has put customers at the heart of everything it does. The company has invested significantly in its solutions and growing its airline OCC offering into a unified, modular platform that can scale with evolving needs. It has also strengthened its implementation process and customer service globally to ensure long-term success of its airline partners, including French regional airline, HOP! where Flightscape’s Operations Control solution was successfully implemented earlier this year.

“The implementation of our first module, Flightscape’s Operations Control solution was completed in the first quarter of this year, and we could not be more pleased with the results and impressed by the successful and customized implementation process,” said Eric Chaumette, Chief Information Officer of HOP!. Two more modules, Crew Manager and Crew Planner, are expected to go live in late 2025, a process overseen by a dedicated onboarding team. “This represents a technological transformation for us, as we were using old systems that were locally hosted. Moving to Flightscape’s cloud-based solution – which is continuously updated – we feel confident this new system is setting us up to be more cost-effective, reactive and proactive going forward, while maintaining a high passenger experience level.”

Built on a modular architecture, Flightscape enables airlines to deploy the solutions they need for operations control, crew management, flight management, airport management, and in-flight service management. Flightscape’s Unified Task Board integrates data from multiple OCC systems to streamline critical decision-making and boost operational efficiency during time-critical situations. Delivered as a cloud-native SaaS, the Flightscape portfolio provides a more agile, cost-effective, and future-proof solution than proprietary software, ensuring continuous access to the latest features, security updates, and regulatory compliance without manual intervention. The system integrates easily with existing tools via secure APIs, and its architecture adapts to evolving technologies, making it a long-term, low-risk investment for modern airline operations.

About HOP!
HOP! is 100% owned by AIR FRANCE. The company provides flight hours in ACMI on behalf of Air France and offers more than 60 destinations in France and Europe. Flights, mainly to and from the Hubs at Roissy-CDG and Lyon, are operated regularly at times suited to business travellers and leisure customers alike. HOP’s Maintenance and Engineering Division carries out all maintenance of the airline’s fleet thanks to expertise acquired over more than 20 years of work on regional aircraft. It proposes engineering services, base maintenance and major maintenance inspections to other airlines operating regional aircraft. HOP!, which is Part-CAMO, Part-21-J, Part-147 and Part-145 approved, also operates an aircraft maintenance technician training centre in Clermont-Ferrand.

About CAE
At CAE, we equip people in critical roles with the expertise and solutions to create a safer world. As a technology company, we digitalize the physical world, deploying software-based simulation training and critical operations support solutions. Above all else, we empower pilots, cabin crew, maintenance technicians, airlines, business aviation operators, and defence and security forces to perform at their best every day and when the stakes are the highest. Around the globe, we’re everywhere customers need us to be with approximately 13,000 employees in more than 240 sites and training locations in over 40 countries. CAE represents more than 75 years of industry firsts—the highest-fidelity flight and mission simulators as well as training programs powered by digital technologies. We embed sustainability in everything we do. Today and tomorrow, we’ll make sure our customers are ready for the moments that matter.

Source: CAE
Photo Credit: CAE

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Australian University Pilot Training Academy Seeking Chief Pilot – Head of Operations in 2025

Australia – RMIT University is seeking to recruit and appoint a Chief Pilot – Head of Operations for its Aviation Academy, a full-time ongoing role based primarily at the Point Cook campus with operational oversight of the Bendigo Base.

Overview:

  • 1 x full time, ongoing position based at the Point Cook campus and will have responsibility for the Bendigo Base operations, however, may be required to work and/or be based at other campuses of the University
  • Take charge of RMIT’s flight training operations, ensuring compliance with CASA regulations while aligning with RMIT’s strategic objectives to deliver world-class aviation education
  • Play a pivotal role in maintaining the Academy’s reputation for excellence by fostering a professional, inclusive, and performance-driven environment for both staff and students.

Please see an extract of the job post below.

“About You

As Chief Pilot at RMIT Aviation Academy, you will play a pivotal role in steering the strategic and operational direction of RMIT Aviation Academy’s flight training programs. Reporting directly to the Director and CEO, you will ensure that all training operations are conducted safely, efficiently, and in full compliance with Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations. Collaborating closely with the Academy’s leadership team, you will align the aviation training programs with RMIT’s academic, operational, and strategic objectives. Your leadership will uphold and enhance the Academy’s reputation for excellence, fostering a professional, inclusive, and performance-driven environment that prepares the next generation of aviation professionals.

To be successful in this position, you’ll have / you’ll have as a minimum:

  • Comprehensive understanding of the aviation industry legislation and CASA regulations for flight training and ability to translate these into operational outcomes.
  • Proven people leadership and management experience including the lead, coach and motivate staff towards the achievement of strategic organisational objectives.
  • Demonstrated ability to contribute effectively as a constructive and proactive member of a team.
  • Proven high-level interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships and networks with a broad range of internal and external key stakeholders, with the ability to influence key outcomes and adapt communication styles particularly to teaching and consultancy environments.
  • Effective presentation and facilitation skills, and in the use of flexible teaching methods.
  • Demonstrated skills and experience in competency-based assessment.
  • Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to prepare professional documentation for various audiences, to support briefing, influencing or negotiation activities with senior stakeholders and effectively communicate complex information to people with varying levels of technical literacy.
  • Demonstrated capability to diagnose learning problems in students, propose and implement effective solutions.
  • Highly developed planning and organisational skills, with experience establishing priorities, allocating resources and meeting deadlines
  • Demonstrated skills in the use of relevant information and communication technologies including Microsoft packages and databases.
  • Demonstrated experience as a Flight Examiner in the administration of flight tests up to, and including, Commercial Pilot License and Multi Engine Instrument Ratings.

Qualifications

Postgraduate qualification in aviation, such as a Bachelor of Aviation, and extensive relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant training/experience.

Mandatory qualifications

The HOO/CFI appointed is required to meet all the following minimum standards:

Vocational Competencies

  • CPL licence and Air Transport licence
  • Minimum of 5,000 PIC
  • Capable of holding CASA HOO
  • Grade 1 Flight Instructor Endorsement M/E and FIR / IR Training endorsements
  • Flight Examiner approvals RPL, PPL, CPL, FIR and CIR
  • Significant experience in Instructor and Instrument training; and

The appointee must be able to demonstrate vocational competencies at least to the level of those delivered.

Teaching Qualification

  • The appointee must hold the TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment as a minimum qualification. This consists of 10 units (7 core and 3 electives).
  • Current Flight Examiner Rating (Recreational, Private, Commercial).

If you do not hold these at the time of appointment, you must obtain within 12 months of your commencement date.

To be eligible for this appointment, you must be an Australian citizen.

Please Note: Appointment to this position is subject to passing a Working with Children and National Police Check.

Applications Close: 25 May 2025 11.59 pm”

To learn more about this role and to apply click here.

Source: RMIT University
Photo Credit: RMIT University

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New Zealand-Based Aeroplanned Launches Features to Streamline Flight School Planning Accuracy

Global – Aeroplanned, a popular flight training organisation resource planning software provider – focused on flight school resource management and training timeline forecasting, has announced the launch of a new feature suite aimed at improving data accuracy and streamlining planning processes for flight training organizations.

  • Aeroplanned’s latest release introduces built-in guidance tools designed to identify and address incomplete or outdated data points.

  • The tools allow users to quickly locate issues, making the planning process more efficient and reducing the reliance on manual spreadsheets.

  • The platform’s logic has been designed to assist teams without dedicated planners, offering configurable workflows tailored to each training organization’s cadence.

  • This marks phase one of Aeroplanned’s updated rollout, emphasizing accurate data as the foundation for effective training resource forecasting.

  • Future phases will focus on aligning operational plans to further enhance predictability and efficiency.

Statements:

  • “Planning can absolutely be done with precision – but only if your data is correct, easy to update, and properly coordinated.”

  • “We’ve poured everything we learned into Aeroplanned… even the smartest software needs the right inputs to deliver great results.”

Source: Aeroplanned

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