Qantas to open $100m flight school

The Qantas Group has proposed plans for a new $100 million centre in Sydney to train pilots across its current and future fleet.

The new facility has been proposed for St Peters near Sydney Airport and would provide training for up to 4500 Qantas and Jetstar pilots and crew each year from early 2024.

The centre is expected to house up to eight full motion flight simulators – including for the Airbus A350 and A320 – alongside fixed flight training devices, emergency procedures equipment, classrooms and training facilities.

Qantas’ new facilities come as the airline – and the broader aviation industry – has struggled with staff shortages and cancelled and delayed flights. The Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the new facility will ensure the airline’s high training standards continue as it introduces a new generation of aircraft types.

“Qantas has trained its pilots and crew in Sydney for more than half a century and we look forward to bringing this critical function back to New South Wales with this custom-built facility,” Joyce said.

“Sydney will be the launch city for our non-stop flights to London and New York, and will now be the home of pilot training for the A350s, which will operate these flights from 2025.

“As our international network recovers from the impact of COVID and we grow our fleet, this new training centre will give us the simulator capacity to train our new and current pilots.”

The submission for the centre was made by Asia Pacific logistics specialist LOGOS, who will develop the 7946sqm site, which reportedly has an end value of about $100m, in partnership with global training provider CAE and Qantas. The centre will sit next to the 13.8 hectares of land that LOGOS purchased from Qantas late last year for $802m.

The NSW Minister for Homes, Anthony Roberts, expressed his support of Australia’s aviation industry and the new site on behalf of the state government.

“The NSW Government is a proud supporter of Australia’s aviation industry, and efforts like this will help strengthen capability and ensures NSW and Sydney remain the country’s global travel hub,” Roberts said.

“Our $60 million Aviation Attraction Fund is securing routes, creating jobs and promoting visitor expenditure to accelerate our COVID-19 Road to Recovery, and cement NSW as the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific.

“The NSW Government has declared the proposal as State Significant, in recognition of its potential widespread economic benefits and importance to the aviation industry.”

Construction of the site is expected to start in early December.

Advertise with us

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

a320 a350 airbus alan joyce CAE jetstar LOGOS qantas qantas group St Peters sydney airport