CAE to establish training centre in Bangalore

CAE announced it will establish its first Indian aviation training centre in Bangalore, India. It will be located close to the Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli. The centre will open by the end of calendar 2007 and will train up to 1,000 pilots annually when fully operational. The initial plan involves an investment of approximately US $20 million and would likely include the participation of a partner. CAE is evaluating partnership possibilities. CAE's India training centre will serve India-based airlines and the surrounding region. The centre will be part of the CAE-Airbus cooperation and will initially offer pilot, cabin crew and maintenance training as well as flight operations support on the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737. The training centre will also serve the needs of the CAE Global Academy, a new training alliance intended to address the global shortage of pilots. Currently, Indian carriers have approximately 200 aircraft in operation and have ordered an estimated additional 400 aircraft to be delivered over the next five years, which will generate the need for more than 1,000 new pilots per year.

"We have been serving the Indian market for the last 35 years, with carriers such as Air India, Indian Airlines and more recently Jet Airways, Air Deccan, SpiceJet, Indigo, Air Sahara and Kingfisher Airlines", said Jeff Roberts, CAE's Group President, Innovation and Civil Training and Services. "Listening to our customers, we realized the strategic importance of opening a training centre in India. The Indian aviation industry is growing rapidly and faces significant pilot shortages. Establishing this training centre further strengthens our relationship with our Indian customers; it also demonstrates our continued commitment to providing training solutions worldwide, close to our customers' base of operations. As both a training service and equipment provider, CAE can offer the complete spectrum of aviation training services and products to address the needs of this market, including pilot provisioning services and the sale of full-flight simulators and training devices."

CAE is a world leader in providing simulation and modelling technologies, and integrated training services to the civil aviation industry and defence forces around the globe. We design, manufacture and supply simulation equipment and offer training and services. This includes integrated modelling, simulation and training solutions for commercial airlines, business aircraft operators, aircraft manufacturers and military organizations and a global network of training centres for pilots, and in some instances, cabin crew and maintenance workers. With annual revenues of over C$1 billion, CAE operates in 19 countries around the world. CAE has sold nearly 700 simulators and training devices to airlines, aircraft manufacturers, training centres and defence forces for air and ground purposes in more than 40 countries. We have over 110 full-flight simulators in more than 20 aviation training centres, serving approximately 3,500 airlines, aircraft operators and manufacturers across the globe. CAE licenses its simulation software to various market segments and has a professional services division assisting customers with a wide range of simulation-based needs.

visit us @ http://www.silkrouteholidays.com