Bangkok,5th August 2026:
With just a month to go until APATS 2026 in Bangkok, anticipation is building for the packed agenda covering every aspect of aviation training. From airline transformation and next-generation pilot training to immersive technologies, regulation and widening access to aviation careers, delegates will have the opportunity to hear directly from the organisations leading change across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
Here are six standout sessions from across the APATS programme.
1. Opening Keynote: Thai Airways COO on Aviation’s Next Transformation
The conference opens with a keynote from Captain Chawan Ratanawaraha, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Transformation Officer at Thai Airways, who will share how one of Asia’s leading carriers is preparing its workforce for the next phase of aviation transformation.
Drawing on decades of operational and leadership experience, Captain Chawan will discuss the strategic challenges facing airlines as they balance growth, technology, sustainability and workforce development.
2. Pilot Stream: Operationalizing Next-Generation MPL
Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL) training has been discussed for years. This session focuses on how to make it work in practice.
Experts from CAE and AirAsia will examine every stage of implementation, from designing a fully CBTA-compliant course and preparing instructors to managing grading data and measuring airline outcomes. The session concludes with the airline perspective on cadet readiness and why governance and collaboration between airlines, regulators and ATOs are essential to successful MPL programmes.
For organisations considering MPL or looking to improve existing programmes, this promises practical lessons rather than theory.
3. Cabin Crew Stream: Modern Learning Technologies for Aviation Training
Technology is changing not only how aviation professionals train but how they consume information.
Nicholas Bolton, Technical Lead – Immersive & Emerging Technologies at Qantas, will demonstrate how virtual reality is supporting more immersive, practical learning experiences, while Joaquim Gonsalves from IndiGo explores podcasts as a scalable, flexible training tool for today’s mobile workforce.
Together, the presentations highlight how digital learning can improve engagement without sacrificing operational relevance.
4. New for 2026: FSTDO Regulatory Stream
Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD) regulation is entering a period of unprecedented change, and APATS 2026 is responding by launching an entirely new conference stream dedicated to FSTD regulatory oversight, qualification and harmonisation across the Asia-Pacific region.
The FSTDO Regulatory stream will provide what organisers hope will become a permanent forum for dialogue between National Aviation Authorities (NAAs), Flight Simulation Training Device Operators (FSTDOs), airlines, training organisations and simulator manufacturers.
The initiative comes as Europe introduces the new Flight Simulation Training Device Capability Signature (FCS) framework and the task-to-tool approach, and ICAO commences work on the update to ICAO doc 9625 Manual of Criteria for the Qualification of FSTDs, changes that are expected to significantly influence how simulators are qualified and credited for pilot training worldwide.
5. ATO Stream: Breaking Barriers in Ab Initio Training
As airlines seek to expand the pilot pipeline, attracting and supporting the next generation of aviators has never been more important.
This session explores three practical approaches to widening access and improving student success. Speakers examine how early Aviation English assessment can improve readiness for non-native English-speaking cadets, how universities are balancing technical competence with student wellbeing and regulatory requirements, and how innovative deferred-payment cadetship programmes could remove financial barriers while creating more sustainable pilot pipelines.
It’s a session focused not simply on recruiting more pilots, but on helping more students successfully complete the journey.
(This PR is sourced from APATS 2026 Page (www.halldale.com) and is published on as it is basis.)
