MONTRÉAL, 19 December 2013 – The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the establishment of a new Global Training Alliance today, seeking to intensify and refine air transport training and learning resources in the face of expected global shortages of skilled air transport personnel. Current forecasts show the aviation system doubling in capacity by 2030, with hundreds of thousands of new pilots, air traffic controllers and maintenance personnel being needed to support the coming expansion.
“Training is an important priority for ICAO and indeed for our entire sector today,” confirmed ICAO Secretary General, Raymond Benjamin. “In partnership with our close colleagues at IATA, ICAO will be able to better ensure it drives course development and training initiatives which are responsive to industry trends and expectations while still supporting the direct needs of our Member States.”
An immediate outcome of the new alliance will be the launch of the I-TRAIN programme, a joint ICAO/IATA diploma offering which focuses on multiple industry segments. I-TRAIN incorporates unique, blended solutions derived from ICAO/IATA areas of expertise and which can be tailored for existing industry personnel as well as the next generation of aviation professionals (NGAP).
“ICAO very much looks forward to the win-win benefits this new alliance will deliver to our organizations,” stressed Captain Mostafa Hoummady, Chief of Aviation Safety Training at ICAO. “IATA will now be actively contributing to and gaining from ICAO NGAP and TRAINAIR PLUS Regional and Global Symposia, while its promotion of TRAINAIR PLUS to its existing training network will help increase worldwide appreciation for our unique ICAO training centre membership programme.”
“ICAO & IATA complement each other in training, and this partnership opens a new level of collaboration between the two organizations in developing the people of our industry worldwide,” added Ismail Albaidhani, Head of the Global Partnerships and Learning Innovation for IATA.
In addition to its partnership with ICAO on the I-TRAIN initiative, the new alliance will also see IATA benefitting from increased access to the ICAO TRAINAIR PLUS network of internationally recognized aviation training centres. Related benefits includes direct contact with all ICAO TRAINAIR PLUS Members, participation in TRAINAIR PLUS strategic planning activities and future TRAINAIR PLUS events, and the use of various ICAO training publications.
Hoummady also noted that ICAO’s TRAINAIR PLUS programme would be welcoming the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Bombardier Aerospace, its very first OEM, as new Corporate Members.
Background notes for editors:
More on ICAO TRAINAIR PLUS: www.icao.int/safety/TrainairPlus/Pages/default.aspx
