Jeddah - IATA welcomed onboard the Prince Sultan Aviation Academy (PSAA) as a Regional Training Partner (RTP), the second RTP in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the 10th in the Africa and Middle East (AME) region.
The agreement was signed by Muhammad Albakri, IATA's Regional Vice-President for Africa and Middle East and Captain Ismael Koshy, Managing Director of the PSAA, in the presence of His Excellency the Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser.
Demand for air transport is growing, both globally and in AME region. According to Airbus, in the next 20 years the world’s global fleet will double to 48,000 aircraft. That means more than 500,000 pilots are needed to fly some 37,000 new aircraft and an even greater number of technicians and engineers will be needed to maintain and look after these aircraft.
The ability of AME aviation to reach its full potential will hinge on the creation of a professional, skilled, and sustainable workforce. Partnerships with training institutions, like PSAA, are critical to building this worforce.
IATA works with a network of more than 470 partnering institutions located over 90 countries and across every continent, that fall under four categories: IATA Authorized Training Centers (ATCs), IATA Accredited Training Schools (ATSs), IATA Regional Training Partners (RTPs) and IATA Academic Partners.
“We are thrilled to have PSAA onboard as an IATA Regional Training Partner in AME. Through this partnership, IATA courses will be promoted, marketed, managed and delivered at PSAA premises", stated IATA's RVP Muhammad Albakri.
“The aviation industry is geared to continue its growth in demand for air transport in the years to come and meeting this demand will require a skilled workforce to sustain the growth and provide consistently safe and secure services to the travelers. This strategic partnership will support PSAA in responding to the ever-growing training demand in KSA and the AME region and will augment the existing knowledge transfer capabilities of PSAA", continued Albakri.
“Already this year over 1,500 aviation professionals have benefitted from IATA training in AME and we look forward to growing these numbers to meet the demand for safe, secure and sustainable air transport industry", added Albakri.
Captan Koshy expressed his commitment to the continued development and commitment to training aviation professionals at the academy: “Prince Sultan Aviation Academy has a mandate and mission to provide access to state-of-the-art facilities and excellence in the field of aviation training. We are proud to become an IATA Regional Training Partner and look forward to connecting with new partners in the region and beyond.”
As an RTP, the aviation academy will offer courses available to IATA members in the areas of:
