Hi Mutt,
Same source, quotes Dr Khaled ibn Bakr, director general of the airline, as saying that Saudia has already signed a contract with a national company to establish an aviation training centre in Jeddah.
Apparently there will be two facilities at the center; one for aviation training and another for aviation safety. It is anticipated that this will reduce training expenditure abroad and avoid the problems related to sending Saudi pilots abroad for training.
"The center aims at training Saudi cadre in aviation to meet the Kingdom's requirements," an official statement by the airline company said, adding that the training would be provided in line with the rules and standards set by the American FAA.
I guess this is not going to happen overnight, and where will they get their experienced trainers from? Can they source this internally?
Otherwise would they be able to use China Northern's facility at Kunming, in China, when it is ready later this year?