Avia sees major potential for pilot training

Avia Solutions Group, a Lithuania-headquartered aviation services company, plans to establish a pilot training center in China, which is expected to open in 2020, to meet the increasing demand for pilots in the nation, it said on Tuesday.

Currently, Avia Group, the largest firm of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, is looking for Chinese partners and choosing suitable sites to set up the training center, and it plans to complete the process by the end of the year.

By 2022, the center plans to train 1,000 pilots per year with three simulators, and after that, it aims to train 2,000 pilots annually with a total of six simulators, Avia Group said.

"We will mainly provide services to train the existing pilots of different airlines, including growing and smaller-sized airlines. The pilots will be mainly trained to operate the A320 of Airbus SE and the B737 MAX of Boeing Co. In the future, we might provide pilots training for the A350 as well," said Gediminas Ziemelis, chairman of the board of Avia Solutions Group.

"China represents a significant opportunity in the aviation industry, as it is developing rapidly and the demand for aviation services is increasing," he said.

By 2035, the number of preordered aircraft is expected to increase by 6,330 with demand for 110,000 new pilots in China, according to figures provided by the company.

For the joint venture, Avia Group will bring licenses, technologies and engineers, while local partners will be expected to take responsibility of infrastructure supply assurance, it said.