New Delhi, November 26, 2024:

Pilot and aviation training in India has received a significant boost as France-headquartered Simaero, a leading provider in pilot training and simulation engineering solutions, announced the signing of its first A320 NEO full-flight simulator for its state-of-the-art training facility set to open in Delhi NCR in early 2025. To deliver its first simulator in India, Simaero has partnered with HAVELSAN, a prominent Turkish manufacturer.

The new HAVELSAN manufactured A320 NEO device will add to the group’s growing global fleet of 30+ active full-flight simulators and will be ready-for-training by Q2 2025.The signing ceremony was held at the national capital in the presence of dignitaries from France, Turkey and India which included top officials of Simaero and HAVELSAN.

The French aviation training firm’s signing of the first simulator training facility comes at a time when India is poised for a boom in the aviation sector and experts have forecasted an unprecedented requirement of trained pilots. This first full-flight simulator, to represent Airbus’ variant A320 NEO, the narrow-body, commercial passenger twin engine jet airliner, which is immensely popular in the Indian aviation space for short to medium range of travel. One A320 NEO full-fight simulator can cover close to 6,000 hours of flight crew training.

According to a senior official from the France-headquartered firm Simaero, which has committed $100 million to developing aviation training infrastructure in India, the installation of the full-flight simulator is the first of eight planned simulators at the company’s new training centre in the national capital. This will soon be followed by the addition of other simulators representing widely used narrow-body aircraft, including the ATR 72-600 and B737.

“India’s aviation sector is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by increased regional connectivity and record orders for single-aisle aircraft, such as the Airbus A320 aircraft family. Partnering with HAVELSAN to introduce the first A320 NEO full-flight simulator at our Delhi facility marks the initial step in our commitment to addressing the rapidly growing demand for pilot training in the country. Our new facility in Delhi will provide high-quality, cost-effective training solutions, reducing the need for airlines to send pilots abroad for training—an expensive proposition,” said Khushbeg Jattana, General Manager of Simaero India.

“As HAVELSAN, we are incredibly excited about the deployment of our Airbus A320 neo full flight simulator to Simaero. This milestone is not only a proud moment for us but also a reflection of the trust we’ve earned from global training centres like Simaero. Over the years, we’ve worked tirelessly to develop cutting-edge simulators that meet the highest standards of quality and safety, and this delivery proves that our commitment is being recognized internationally. We are thrilled to support Simaero’s world-class pilot training programs and look forward to continuing to strengthen our global partnerships in aviation.” stated Mehmet Akif Nacar, Ph.D CEO of HAVELSAN.