Etihad Airways Technical Engineer Trainees head to Australia

 The inaugural class of Etihad Airways’ technical engineer trainees have commenced their core course training at the Aviation Australia maintenance centre in Brisbane.

The group of 16 trainees, flying on Etihad’s Abu Dhabi to Brisbane service, arrived in Australia last week and will spend the majority of the two year development programme at the prestigious training centre in Queensland.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive, said, “The technical engineering development programme is a key element of Etihad’s expanding Emiratisation scheme and we are very proud that the first class has completed their foundation work in Abu Dhabi and has now started their core training in Australia.

“The technical engineer trainees will benefit from world class international training in Brisbane which will be put to great to use within the UAE and Etihad Airways when they return.”

The trainees joined Etihad’s technical engineering development programme in January 2008 and have spent the last five months studying foundation disciplines of mathematics, physics, advanced aerodynamics and aviation legislation.

The trainees were chosen after extensive assessments and once qualified will become part of Etihad’s technical division at the airline’s new dedicated aircraft line maintenance facility at Abu Dhabi airport.

The AED three million facility is equipped with the latest IT technology and equipment for all day-to-day technical line maintenance on Etihad aircraft including hydraulic, structural and instrument checks.

Fatima Saleh Befaraj, one of the two female trainees, said, “I am very excited to start my technical engineer training in Brisbane at Aviation Australia and look forward to building on my experience and expertise in this important industry field at Etihad Airways.”

A further intake of 16 technical engineer trainees is scheduled for November.

The first class of Etihad Airways’ engineer trainees consists of: Humaid Al Shamsi, Ali Al Shaer, Salem Al Shehhi, Suood Al Naemi, Loulua Abdulla Mohamed, Mohammed Al Marzouki, Ali Khamiri, Fatima Saleh Bafaraj, Suhail Mahfodh, Ali Al Ameri, Omar Mohammed, Shehab Al Shehhi, Ali Al Khamiri, Saleh Al Braiki , Sayed Al Aidarous and Tareq Al Sayed.

In addition to the technical engineering development programme, Etihad Airways’ Emiratisation initiatives focus on two other streams which include the cadet pilot programme and graduate management development programme.

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