Airways NZ and Aviation Australia to launch ATC training centre

Airways New Zealand and Aviation Australia have announced they will open a purpose-built air traffic control training centre for international students in Brisbane.

The joint venture is the first move under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between New Zealand’s air navigation service provider and Aviation Australia, a state-owned enterprise of the Queensland Government.

The agreement will see Airways delivering ab-initio air traffic control (ATC) training at Aviation Australia’s Brisbane training campus, Airways’ Head of Training Sharon Cooke says.

“We have similar training partnerships in place in Dubai, Puerto Rico and China and it’s pleasing to be adding Australia to that portfolio. Our track record in providing highly effective ATC training, combined with Aviation Australia’s wider educational portfolio, means this partnership is well placed for success,” Ms Cooke says.

A full suite of ATC training technologies will be available at the centre. Airways will install Total Control radar and aerodrome simulators which provide students with highly realistic tower and surveillance experiences via three-dimensional high definition graphics.

“Aviation Australia is pleased to be working with Airways New Zealand on this important training programme and we are very proud of being able to partner with a great organisation such as Airways to deliver world-class ATC training,” Aviation Australia CEO Bill Horrocks says.

The centre’s first intake, a group of 24 students from the General Authority of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia (GACA), have now arrived in Australia to begin their training. The students will spend their first year studying English before beginning their 12 months of ATC training.  

“Airways has a long history of providing training to GACA and has hosted its students in New Zealand for the past six years. We’re delighted that they will be the first students we host under this new venture in Australia,” Ms Cooke says.

Airways and Aviation Australia will partner on a variety of projects and initiatives across the training landscape under the MOU.

Aviation Australia CEO Bill Horrocks and Airways New Zealand Head of Training Sharon Cooke at a function in Brisbane to celebrate the partnership of the two organisations.