Qantas Group pilot training set to soar in new Sydney flight training centre

Qantas and CAE have officially opened Sydney’s new purpose-built flight training centre today, where thousands of new and existing Qantas and Jetstar pilots will train each year. The facility in St Peters near Sydney Airport is now home to five full-flight simulators, three fixed training devices and ten classrooms. Further tranches of training equipment will arrive in the coming years, including Australia’s first Airbus A350 simulator that will train Qantas pilots for ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise flights. The new centre marks the return of Sydney-based flight training for the Group after Qantas relocated its simulators from Sydney to Melbourne and Brisbane in 2021 to make way for the NSW Government’s Sydney Gateway Road project.

CAE will operate the new centre and maintain all training equipment. Senior Qantas and Jetstar training captains will continue to train pilots from both airlines, with pilots typically undertaking four simulator sessions per year to remain current in their formal qualifications and up to 15 sessions when training for a new aircraft type. Pilots and cabin crew will also complete their ground training at the St Peter’s centre with emergency procedures equipment and aircraft cabin mock-ups until mid-2026 when Qantas opens a new dedicated ground training facility in Mascot. The relocation of ground training equipment will open up additional space at the CAE Sydney flight training centre and enable its transition to a dedicated pilot training facility which will allow the Group to meet growing demand as it welcomes new aircraft.

Qantas’ first group of A321XLR pilots are currently undertaking their training at the Sydney centre ahead of the first aircraft arrival in 2025. The formal opening of the centre follows a recent major investment in skills and training that includes a new Qantas Group Safety Academy, a $40 million investment in new ground training facilities and equipment across the country, and the doubling of Qantas Group Pilot Academy scholarships in 2025. The first group of apprentices through the new Qantas Engineering Academy is also due to start in January next year.

CEO Qantas International Cam Wallace said the new facility was key to the Qantas Group continuing its long history of training pilots in Sydney:“Qantas is proud of its strong safety culture and the skill and expertise of our pilots has long been recognised globally. This new facility is a key part of ensuring that these high standards continue across our next generation of aircraft and aviators in this country. We have more than a hundred new aircraft on order for Qantas and Jetstar which create significant opportunities for our people and Australia’s aviation industry and the huge demand for crew training will be supported by the new flight training centre. Sydney will be the anchor city for our Project Sunrise flights when they launch and our pilots will train for their flights here in the facility once the A350 simulator arrives.” 

CAE Chief Operating Officer Nick Leontidis said that the Sydney centre’s inauguration is an important milestone as the company celebrates 30 years of supporting aviation training in Australia: “Safety is paramount for the Qantas Group and CAE. The purpose of this training centre, its advanced simulators and team of experts, is to create an optimal training environment for Qantas and Jetstar crew to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to be ready for the moments that matter. With a network of more than 70 civil training centres around the world, including three in Australia, CAE will lend its innovation and expertise in efficient training operations to meet the Qantas Group’s training requirements as it grows its fleet. We salute the longstanding relationship we enjoy with Qantas and look forward to supporting Project Sunrise with CAE’s latest generation Airbus A350 full flight simulator.”

Full-motion simulators and fixed flight training devices (FTD) at the new Sydney Flight Training Centre: