29 January, 2019: Airbus has signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thailand’s Civil Aviation Training Center (CATC) to develop and implement maintenance training and pilot training courses in the country. A long-standing partnership between the European manufacturer and Thailand has resulted in the signing of the MoU.
The terms of the agreement states that Airbus and the CATC will have find out ways in which they can deepen their cooperation in the training of aviation professionals in the country. The goal is to support the development of Thailand’s aviation industry by helping to ensure that there is a steady supply of pilots, engineers and mechanics for Thailand’s airlines and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) centres.
Airbus and CATC have already begun their work on ab initio flight training courses for pilots and basic maintenance training courses which could also be expanded to include additional maintenance courses as well as.
Airbus and Thailand established a relationship with each other in June 2018 when the company and THAI signed an agreement to work on an MRO joint venture at the U-Tapao International Airport.
The facility would offer specialised repair shops including for composite structures and heavy maintenance and line services for all widebody aircraft types. It would also have a maintenance training centre offering extensive courses for technical personnel from Thailand and overseas, once it starts functioning fully.