ATS training centres
31/01/2012 -
10/03/2012
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A British air traffic control training company plans to set up an academy in Wellington to attract foreign students.
Global Aviation Training Services chief executive Alan Siddoway said the school would open in June and would tap into the global demand for thousands of air traffic controllers.
The academy would be based at the Wellington School of Business and Government where three 3D control tower simulators would be built.
Global-ATS has two training centres in Britain and a third in Spain, training up to 400 air traffic controllers a year. The chairman is Wellington businessman Murray Cole, who previously owned Paraparaumu Airport and set up commuter airline air2there.
Global-ATS would compete with state-owned air traffic control provider and trainer Airways New Zealand for foreign students.
Airways has training centres in Christchurch and Palmerston North. The Global-ATS academy would also be open to New Zealand trainees, but because Airways New Zealand has the monopoly on training for its own control towers, Global-ATS students would need to look for work overseas. Siddoway said the Airway's training arm should be opened to competition as it was in Britain.
The academy would train up to 10 air traffic control students in the first year.
Globally, there was demand for up to 6000 additional air traffic controllers. "The demand is driven by the tremendous growth in the Middle East and particularly the United Arab Emirates, where the major new airport developments are being contemplated," Siddoway said.
The academy would also provide courses in aviation management for up to another 70 students a year. Wellington was chosen ahead of an Australian centre because the Kiwi accent was "a lot less harsh than the Aussie twang".
The central city location of the academy and a good mix of accommodation options for students were also in Wellington's favour, Siddoway said.
The poor English spoken by controllers and pilots in some parts of the world was a significant concern for the industry.
The Asia Pacific training centre in Wellington would provide Middle Eastern and Asian students with a total immersion English environment.
Air traffic controllers needed to be fluent speakers and thinkers of "aviation English", which was the global standard.
"Global-ATS students would need to look for work overseas. Siddoway said the Airway's training arm should be opened to competition as it was in Britain."
Don't know if I would be too keen to pay for my own training, then try to convince an ANSP to hire me without a validation or any experience...