ATC students embrace Airways Knowledge Online virtual training post Covid-19

A virtual Airways Knowledge Online (AKO) ICAO 051 ATS Licensing Subjects course is in full swing for a group of 14 students from the Pacific and Middle East, as they embrace online training while Covid-19 related global border and travel restrictions continue to disrupt face-to-face training.

The AKO virtual academy was launched in December 2020, delivering industry-leading training to aviation students across the globe so they could engage and learn remotely. The ICAO 051 ATS Licensing Subjects virtual course is the third of its kind to be run through AKO since the academy launched, and the 19^th virtual AKO course in total.

Ten students from the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Papua New Guinea are recipients of a Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship, sponsored by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and organised by Skills Consulting Group. The remaining four students are from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, and New Zealand.

The ICAO 051 ATS Licensing Subjects 16-week course is being delivered by an Airways International Ltd (AIL) instructor based in the AKO Immersive Technologies studio at Airways’ training facilities in Christchurch, New Zealand. Students on the course are learning specific theoretical skills as base knowledge prior to further simulation and on-the-job training.

“We’re incredibly proud to continue delivering quality, world-class ATC training, without compromise to our customers around the globe at this time,” says AIL CEO Sharon Cooke.

“It has been an extremely challenging time for the aviation industry over the past 18 months, and we’re doing our utmost to support the industry with solutions and services that meet their needs. Our AKO virtual academy continues to grow and demonstrates our commitment to our customers, and air traffic control safety and education,” Ms Cooke says.

AKO is the result of sustained investment in online and digital learning technologies by AIL and has been developed as a flexible digital learning platform, enabling ANSPs and students to engage and learn on their own terms. It brings Airways’ classroom-based teaching into a virtual environment, where instructor and student interaction is maintained even though courses are being delivered from a distance.

Customers can choose from a range of course delivery methods based on their learning needs, and a full course catalogue including: ATS Assessor, Instructor and Watch Supervisor training, ATS refresher training, Aviation English, ICAO Language Proficiency Rater training, Procedure Design, and Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel (ATSEP) training.

For more information on AKO please visit the AKO site at airways.co.nz.