Kazakhstan-based Air Astana has commissioned a new flight training centre at Astana International Airport, with the facility being the first in Central Asia certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The new training centre is equipped with the latest generation flight simulators that meet international standards.

The equipment list includes the L3 Harris Reality Seven full-flight-simulator. The machine is the first one to enter service with Air Astana and the first ever installation in Kazakhstan. The centre is designed to enhance pilot training capabilities within the country and in doing so will avoid the previous need to send pilots overseas for training. Over 500 pilots from the Air Astana Group will undertake trainings at the new facility, which will be open around the clock.

The airline has also invested in Cabin Emergency Evacuation Trainer (CEET) and Real Fire Fighting Trainer (RFFT), which are scheduled to be launched by the end of the year. Both simulators are ‘state of the art’ in international quality and standards and fully stimulate reality in all aspects of different aircraft evacuation and firefighting situations for in-house training of both flight attendants and pilots of the group.

“The opening of Air Astana’s new Flight Training Centre demonstrates a strategic commitment to ensuring the very highest standards of flight personnel performance and also enhance the steady flow of new entrants into Kazakhstan’s air transport industry as it grows in the future,” said Peter Foster, President of the Air Astana Group. “I am confident that the new facility will not only prove to be a highly cost-effective resource for Air Astana, but also result in Kazakhstan becoming a regional leader in flight training.”

Air Astana Group, which includes LCC FlyArystan, has a goal to hire an additional 100 pilots and a similar number of flight attendants per year for the next five years.