Pact to support Oman Aviation Academy signed

Muscat: The Omani Authority for Partnership for Development (OAPFD) has signed a service-level agreement with CAE to support the Oman Aviation Academy (OAA). This agreement was pursuant to the Partnership for Development (PFD) programme established between OAPFD and CAE earlier this summer.
The service-level agreement was signed by Dr. Dhafir Awadh Al Shanfari, Chief Executive Officer of OAPFD, on behalf of Oman Aviation Academy, and Ian Bell, vice president and general manager, Middle East/Asia Pacific, CAE.
Under the agreement terms, CAE will provide operating services of the highest international standards to the OAA, and in accordance with the requirements of Oman Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). In addition to these, CAE will provide full aviation training programmes to qualify Omani nationals as ground and flight instructors.
CAE, a leading civil and defence aviation training company, will support the Sultanate and other regional operators in the training and supply of pilots, for both the civil and military sectors. CAE’s defence and security business unit will oversee the service-level agreement, and partner with the CAE Oxford Aviation Academy to deliver the ab initio pilot training programme.
The CAE Oxford Aviation Academy operates one of the world’s largest ab initio flight-training networks for aspiring pilots. The training programme will include comprehensive ground school academic training, as well as high-quality flying instruction, delivered in accordance with national aviation authority requirements.
Oman Aviation Academy is one of the offset projects, which OAPFD oversees, in partnership with Airbus Helicopters, Ministry of Defence Pension Fund, Oman National Investments Development Company (TANMIA) and Al Hosn Investment Company. The academy will start receiving the first batch of students in the first quarter of 2018, in cooperation with Sultan Qaboos University and Oman Air.