United Arab Emirates & Czech Republic – Air Arabia Academy, the training arm of Air Arabia Group, announced that it is deploying the latest cohort of 24 cadets (Batch 15 and 16) to Czech Republic-based F AIR Flight School, one of the largest flight training groups in Europe when measured by fleet size. The students will train across F AIR’s dual locations in Benešov and Karlovy Vary.
Source: Air Arabia Academy
Türkiye – Turkish Airlines Flight Academy (TAFA), the ab initio pilot training arm of Turkish Airlines, has expanded its 2025 fleet with the induction of another Diamond Aircraft DA42 multiengine aircraft.
This follows the induction of seven new aircraft in August 2025.
TAFA currently operates over 60 aircraft, with 7 new Cessna 172 aircraft delivered in August 2025.
The academy conducts flight training at six different airports across Türkiye.
The training center employs over 100 flight instructors and more than 200 total aviation professionals.
Nearly 500 cadet pilots are currently enrolled in training.
The academy plans to expand its training fleet to 107 aircraft by Q1 2027
TAFA has trained and graduated over 900 pilots in the past five years, with 220,000 total flight hours logged as of December 2024.
Source: Turkish Airlines Flight Academy
United Arab Emirates – Emirates announced the opening of its new state-of-the-art flight crew training centre, which aligns with the airline’s strategic growth. The facility will provide current and future pilots training on its fleet of Airbus A350s and its upcoming Boeing 777Xs.
The purpose-built and high-tech facility, spanning 63,318 sq. ft., houses six full flight simulator bays. Strategically located near other Emirates training facilities in Dubai, the centre is part of a strong, vibrant aviation hub for employees’ personal and professional growth and development.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline and Group, said:“Our new Emirates Crew Training Centre is a gamechanger and has a significant role to play, both in the industry’s ecosystem and Dubai’s emergence as a global aviation hub. Every dirham of our AED 500 million investment is already delivering value. The centre sets new firsts and serves as best-in-class in aviation training, shaping our programmes and preparation for our future fleet. Above all, our pilots and instructors have shared stellar feedback on the new facility and that is immensely rewarding.”
Emirates’ pilots have every reason to be thrilled with the new centre. The simulators are integrated with the innovative Pilot Support Station (PSS), an industry first entirely conceptualised inhouse, to optimise the training experience. Prior to their training session, pilots can configure their flight deck, even build a flight plan, in a fully immersive environment using bespoke devices. By streamlining preparation, pilots can maximise learning outcomes. Training sessions are fully recorded, enabling instructors to replay any moment to enhance performance review and learning.
The centre also boasts of sophisticated 3D printing capabilities to create complex components and structures that support Emirates’ training equipment across the campus. This capability generates an impressive annual saving of up to AED 1 million.
The centre has commenced training pilots with two A350 full flight simulators. Four more, including Boeing 777Xs simulators, are scheduled to be welcomed in the next couple of years.
Each simulator has the capacity to deliver 7,500 hours of training for up to 1,000 pilots every year. Once fully operational, Emirates’ pilots will have access to 17 simulators, including 11 for training on A380s and Boeing 777s. Across all its facilities, Emirates’ capacity will expand by 54%, offering a solid 130,000 training hours to its pilot community every year.
Emirates’ first A350 full flight simulator received a level D qualification, the highest rating for this type of simulator, from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). What’s more, it is the first globally at the latest Airbus A350 Standard 1.3, achieving qualification with zero findings, another rare feat.
Pilots at Emirates complete robust, evidence-based and competency-based training programmes with highly skilled instructors. The new Emirates Crew Training Centre also houses four spacious classrooms for facilitating courses in pilot recurrent, conversion and command training.
Besides the Emirates Crew Training Centre, the airline offers a range of world-class training and development programmes for its employees and for other aviation professionals. Other facilities in Dubai include the Emirates Flight Training Academy for cadets, Emirates Aviation University, Emirates Cabin Crew Training Centre, and the Emirates Aviation College that offer hundreds of specialists, technical and soft skills courses for its employees and the broader aviation community.
Emirates is on a massive growth trajectory and on the lookout for pilots for its three programmes – Direct Entry Captains, Accelerated Command and First Officers non-type rated. Those aspiring to join the world’s largest international and most profitable airline with the biggest fleets of A380s and Boeing 777s, are invited to apply.
Source: Emirates
