Pacific Airline Training Center Prepares Staff for New EASA FSTD Qualification Framework

Fiji – Fiji Airways has hosted a four-day regulatory training course for staff covering EASA CS-FSTD Issue 1 and the Flight Simulation Training Device Capability Signature (FCS) framework, delivered by SIM OPS' Mark Dransfield. The training supports the airline's preparation for EASA's revised capability-based FSTD qualification framework, which becomes applicable from 30 April 2028.

• The four-day course focused on practical understanding of simulator compliance, implementation of the FCS framework and safety assurance, with staff working through the regulatory and operational implications for FSTD operators.
• EASA published CS-FSTD Issue 1 on 15 July 2026. The framework changes the qualification approach from traditional device categories and levels toward an FSTD Capability Signature based on the simulation features and fidelity required for defined training tasks.
• SIM OPS' FCS training covers the revised CS-FSTD structure, transition arrangements for existing qualified devices, Part-FCL training matrices, Part-ORA requirements, Equipment Specification Lists, and revised evaluation and qualification documentation.
• The regulatory preparation is directly relevant to Fiji Airways Aviation Academy, which currently operates four EASA-active Level D Full Flight Simulators in Nadi: Airbus A330-200, Airbus A350-900, Boeing 737-8 MAX and ATR 72-600 devices. EASA's current register lists all four as active.
• Fiji Airways' 2024 annual reporting also lists three fixed-base flight training devices covering the Boeing 737 MAX, Airbus A330 and DHC-6-400. The academy supports initial, type-rating, recurrent and upgrade training for Fiji Airways as well as third-party operators.
• Mark Dransfield is part of SIM OPS' flight simulation regulatory team and has also delivered FSTD Capability Signature training for CAA International. In 2026, he moderated the new FSTD Operator Regulatory stream at the Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium as regulators and operators considered implementation of capability-based qualification frameworks. 

About Fiji Airways Aviation Academy
Fiji Airways Aviation Academy is the Nadi-based training center of Fiji Airways, established in 2019 to provide flight crew, cabin crew and technical training. Its current Full Flight Simulator fleet comprises four CAE7000XR Level D devices covering the Airbus A330-200, Airbus A350-900, Boeing 737-8 MAX and ATR 72-600. The academy also operates fixed training devices for the Airbus A330, Boeing 737 MAX and DHC-6-400 and provides simulator access to external airline customers in addition to supporting Fiji Airways and Fiji Link.

About SIM OPS
SIM OPS is a Kuala Lumpur-headquartered flight simulation services company founded in 2020, providing FSTD regulatory training, engineering support, simulator qualification, maintenance, upgrades and operational consulting. Its regulatory training portfolio covers FSTD compliance, evaluation, Qualification Test Guides, Part-ORA and the FSTD Capability Signature framework. The company's team includes specialists with experience across FSTD manufacturing, operations, engineering and regulatory compliance and supports simulator operators, ATOs and aviation authorities internationally.

Source: Ilisapeci Bose (Fiji Airways)