Competency-based training is way forward, says JATS boss

Jordan Airline Training and Simulation (JATS) was originally founded as Royal Jordanian’s Training Centre in 1970.

Separated in 2000 as part of the privatisation of RJ, it was the subject of a 2006 sale with 80% of the company going to current owner Eastern Holdings, and the remainder with the national carrier.

Today the company, which is based at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, is one of the leading independent airline and customer service training academies in the Middle East.

Investment in simulators began in 1975 with Boeing 707 and Boeing 727. Over the last couple of years Dr Majid AlSadi, chairman of Eastern Holding and JATS, has invested heavily in developing and improving the facilities and services.

“With the increase in tourism and passenger demand, the airline industry in the Middle East is reaching unprecedented heights in terms of service providers. The demand for qualified pilots, engineers and cabin crew has increased substantially in the region,” said AlSadi.

He highlighted the fact that JATS’ services continue to boost the efficiency of the aviation industry in Jordan and the Middle East. He has invested in the development of a set of flight simulators at Coventry University in the UK that will support the training of student aircraft engineers.

JATS’ state-of-the-art facility covers 30,000sqm, with pretty gardens and sidewalks. In 2011 it unveiled a new glass hangar that houses the B737NG and the Embraer 170/190 simulators.

Amer Fakhoury has been general manager since March 2011 and he says the facility will continue to grow to accommodate customers’ training requirements.

“At the moment our full-motion flight simulators include two A320s, A310, B767-300ER, B737-800NG and the EMB170/190,” said Fakhoury.

And when it comes to type-rating Fakhoury will be keeping the simulators up to standard. But, at the moment, he has a dilemma with the A310.

“The A310 is getting quite old and may be fazed out,” said Fakhoury. “We can’t decide if we want to keep it, but it is one of only a few in the world. If it goes, we will either install an A330, A340 or 787.  Royal Jordanian is getting 11 787s.  If that goes ahead, it makes sense we get a 787 simulator.”

The company also provides an EASA 147-approved maintenance and engineering section, as well as cabin training, with door trainers and slides for A340/330, A310, A320, L1011, B727/737, and B767.

“We have just signed for an Embraer 195 door trainer, which we will take delivery of in September. We see a future for Embraer as many airlines in the region already use it,” said Fakhoury.”

The site is also home to a huge pool for ditching and wet drill exercises, as well as having a cabin service trainer with working galleys.

“Since we started, we have trained around 100,000 students. Customers come to us from all over the Middle East, as well as Asia and Europe,” said Fakhoury.

“Our instructors are of the highest calibre, with an international reputation. They believe that learning to fly, whether in an aircraft or in business, is a never-ending experience.

“We have 17 freelance pilots as well as 86 full time staff.”

Around 95% of JATS’ customers are airlines, mainly within MENA. They include RJ, Oman Air, Bahrain Air, MEA, and Air Arabia.

The company has a very high success rate with, perhaps, one failure a week. “This failure is a real failure, though, as we give students chances,” explained Fakhoury. “We do not, and will not, produce a bad pilot.”

Fakhoury said the growth of pilot numbers in the region is unprecedented.

“In the coming 15 years the Middle East area will be needing 37,500 pilots – that means all the academies in the region must produce five pilots a day – which is not possible for us. I can’t do five pilots a week. It will be a big challenge for everyone.”

Like many others, Fakhoury believes the future of training lies in the multi-crew pilots licence (MPL) programme. “I see the future as MPL for airlines that can afford it. Also, the student must be committed to do this, so locked in for five or ten years to conduct the training as per the airline syllabus and regulations,” he said.

“Last year we were the first to offer this project in the region through Air Arabia’s training arm, Alpha Aviation UAE.”

The MPL is a competency-based training programme that ensures the flight crew reach the required skills and behaviour before progressing to the next level of training.

Fakhoury said: “MPL training incorporates threat and error management into the entire training programme. This develops a higher level of safety and human factors awareness, learnt from aviation incidents and accidents over time. The aim of the course is to train pilots to the level of proficiency necessary to enable them to operate as a co-pilot of a multi-engine turbine powered air transport aeroplane.”

Fakhoury is not alone in thinking that MPL is the future. A friend and competitor, Marwan Atalla, CEO of Ayla Aviation Academy based in Aqaba, is also pushing for MPL.

The training school has recently received approval by Qatar Airways. “We are now Qatar Airways certified and the airline is hiring almost everyone graduating from Ayla with a JAA licence. The next step is to train students from Qatar Airways as a trial batch. But Qatar Airways is now hiring our graduates,” said Atalla.

There could be the potential for a partnership between Ayla Aviation and JATS going forward.

“To do an MPL you need a flight school, you need a type rating training organisation, like at JATS, and you need an airline,” said Atalla.

“So, for Ayla, we would happily work with JATS. But it’s not my decision – it’s the airlines’ decision. If the airline wants to work with Ayla and choose JATS alongside, then both myself and Amer Fakhoury will be happy.”

Atalla said MPL would also give greater capacity to the schools. “The average MPL student flies 70 hours on the plane, the rest is simulator training, so you go from 200 hours to 70 hours. It means I can triple the number of students. It is better for the airline, too, as quite simply, it will get a better quality first officer.”