Hyderabad, 23rd October 2007: Sabena Flight Academy, one of world’s leading independent flight academies based in Brussels, Belgium and GMR Group, a fast-growing Indian infrastructure major, have signed an MoU for setting up a joint venture limited company. The new company will set up a modern aviation academy at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad by January 2009. The aviation academy will offer complete training packages for aviation related activities covering pilot and cabin crew training, engine engineers, technicians, and aviation consultants. This will bridge the gap in the huge demand in these areas. Training for airport operations staff such as passengers and ramp services agents will also be provided.

More than 80 million Euros (Rs 450 Crores) will be invested over the next three years covering infrastructure including accommodation for more than 200 trainees per year, six full flight simulators, cabin trainers and engineering tooling.

The partnership between both companies is based on the expertise of Sabena Flight Academy and associated partners such as CFM, Sabena Technics and Flight Care and on the strong market position of GMR Group in India.

To contribute to the growing training requirements in the Asian aviation sector, the new company will offer the entire spectrum of training services in a unique aviation center ideally located in the center of India catering to the Indian as well as the foreign market.

“We are extremely proud of being selected by GMR Group for establishing jointly the most modern aviation cluster in India at the new International Airport at Hyderabad. We are looking forward to provide high standard training with a strong accent on flight safety based on our more then sixty years experience”, said Jack Waldeyer President and CEO of Sabena Flight Academy.

Mr. T. Srinagesh, COO – GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited said, “It is our vision of the airport that it should catalyze an aviation cluster at Hyderabad and accelerate the economic development and employment generation in the State. Towards this, our partnership with Sabena Flight Academy will be a key element by training skilled people, like pilots, cabin crew, engine engineers, technicians and airport operations staff globally besides meeting the needs of our booming aviation industry”.

“Actually we are training more than 200 Indian pilots in our facilities in Arizona USA and we provide Full Flight Simulator training for several Indian Airlines in Brussels” said Jack Waldeyer. “As from 2009 an important part of the pilot’s training will be provided in this new Aviation Academy. Together with our partners CFM, Sabena Technics, Sabena Flight Academy -Consulting and flight Care will provide a one stop training facility to all Indian and foreign commercial airlines at the new International Airport at Hyderabad”.

About Sabena Flight Academy
Sabena Flight Academy (SFA) is one of Europe’s oldest and most respected Pilot Training Academies. After providing Sabena Airlines with world class pilots for more than 60 years SFA has become an independent training center operating on 4 continents and training more than 300 cadet pilots per year. SFA is a JAR- and a JAA-approved Flight Training Organization (FTO) performing cadet training, advanced training, medical services, aviation consulting and high-tech simulation development. These services are customer oriented for airlines and self sponsored candidates. The European (Brussels based) Simulator center currently operates Airbus 320, 330, 340 and Boeing 737CG & NG Full Flight Simulators for more than 60 airlines worldwide.

The Arizona, USA based Flight training center currently operates a fleet of 38 state-of the-art aircraft including a VLJ Eclipse and performs more than 130 flights a day. Excellent weather conditions, a professional organization organized exactly like an airline, top instructors, student administrators and our own in-house maintenance team are just a few of SFA’s key features which enable our customers to have the highest quality training in the most optimal conditions.

About GHIAL
GMR-HIAL is a joint venture company promoted by GMR Infrastructure (63 %); Malaysian Airports Holding Berhad (11 %), Airports Authority of India (13 %) and Government of Andhra Pradesh (13 %), with a mandate to develop a world-class international grade airport spread over 5,500 acres in Shamshabad, about 25 kms from the main city of Hyderabad.

The airport is being designed to handle 12 million passengers per annum with a total project cost of Rs. 2478 crore in the first phase scheduled to be commissioned in March 2008.

This project - Rajiv Gandhi International Airport - is set to position Hyderabad as a prominent player in the global aviation map contributing to the prosperity, development and economic well-being of the region.

Source: Sabena Flight Academy
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