Emirates And CAE Open New Aviation Training Centre In Dubai

Emirates, the international airline of the UAE, and CAE of Canada, have signed an agreement to build and jointly operate the new Emirates Aviation Training Centre in Dubai.

The centre will be located adjacent to the existing Emirates training facility and will house six Full Flight Simulators (FFS), including a Boeing 737-NG, an Airbus A319/A320 and A330/340. The initial investment under the ten-year agreement is approximately Dhs365 million (US$100 million), with equal participation by Emirates and CAE.

The new centre is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2003. Beginning in early 2002, interim training will be provided to anchor customers at a transitional facility in Dubai.

The Emirates Aviation Training Centre agreement was signed in Dubai by Emirates' Chairman, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, and CAE's President and Chief Executive Officer, Derek H. Burney.

Mr. Burney and Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways, the new centre's first anchor customer, also signed a five-year training service agreement.

Sheikh Ahmed said: "Once again, Emirates is proud to be leading the development of aviation training in the Gulf. This will be the first such simulator training centre in the region for these aircraft types and will supplement the four CAE simulators now being operated by Emirates.

"We are delighted to be partnering with CAE, who provided our previous simulators, and with whom we have an excellent working relationship."

Emirates operates a modern fleet of 36 aircraft with flights to 58 destinations in 40 countries throughout the Middle East, Europe, Africa, West Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, the Pacific Rim and Australia. The existing Emirates Training College in Dubai already provides third-party flight training to 26 customers, including 18 national airlines. Emirates has been recognised with some 200 international accolades, including Airline of the Year 1994, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.

"Dubai is the fastest growing economic hub in the Middle East and the gateway between Europe and Asia. The location offers significant strategic value, accelerating CAE's global expansion into the flight training business," said Mr Burney. "Emirates, one of CAE's longstanding customers and well known for its commitment to excellence, is an ideal partner."

CAE is the world's premier provider of simulation and control technologies for training and optimisation solutions in Aerospace, Defence and Forestry.

Headquartered in Canada and operating globally, the company employs more than 7,000 people and has revenues in excess of C$1 billion. Qatar Airways, the youngest airline in the Gulf with one of the most modern fleets, has grown at a rate faster than any of the world's airlines since its re-launch in 1997 under the leadership of its current CEO, Akbar Al Baker. Flying to 27 destinations, the airline operates a fleet of 10 A300-600 and A320 aircraft, and has recently placed an order with Airbus Industrie for a further 19 A320, A330-200 and A380 aircraft to be delivered between 2001 and 2007.