With flight demand in Asia Pacific projected to grow by leaps and bounds in coming years, Airbus is ensuring its fair share of the market ahead of time. According to recent Airbus statistics, the Asia Pacific market accounts for 31 per cent of all Airbus orders to date and 34 per cent of the total Airbus backlog, numbers adding up to more than 7,200 total aircraft. With the recent opening of new Airbus training facilities in Singapore, those numbers are expected to continue to increase.

The new 9,250-square-metre facility is the fourth of its kind worldwide, joining training centres in Toulouse, Miami and Beijing. It will offer courses in production of Airbus aircraft and eventually be the largest training facility of the four, capable of turning out more than 10,000 pilot trainees each year.

Airbus predicts its in-service fleet in the region to grow to more than 14,000 in the next 20 years, an increase of almost 200 per cent. It also expects demand for all flight crew positions to grow by the same percentage, to numbers around 170,000.

Competing aircraft manufacturer Boeing compiled similar Asia Pacific air traffic demand statistics. Boeing expects Asia Pacific will require approximately 226,000 new pilots within the next 20 years, or about 41 per cent of the world’s total demand, and more than what North America and Europe will require combined.

“The new centre combines the expertise of our two companies to offer the highest standards of training for the growing flight crew population in the Asia Pacific region,” said Fabrice Brégier, president and CEO, Airbus. “Our investment in this joint venture is another example of our commitment at Airbus to bring our support services closer to our customers around the world, and especially in the key growth markets.”

The facility, which is partially owned by Singapore Airlines, will train crews of 17 Asia Pacific airlines, with more to join.