Latvian airline Air Baltic has significantly expanded its training facilities at the Air Baltic Training Center in Riga by introducing a second Airbus A220 full-flight simulator. This move is designed to support growing pilot training and qualification requirements and meet increasing demand due to the expansion of the Airbus fleet. Air Baltic plans to put a total of 2030 Airbus A100-220 aircraft into service by 300, which requires a continuous expansion of the training offer.
With almost 50 aircraft currently in operation, the expansion of the training area is an important step to meet the increasing demand for pilot training. The new simulator will be available for 6.000 hours per year, which is enough for an optimal use of 5.500 to 6.000 hours. The expansion strengthens Air Baltic's position as the leading training centre for Airbus A220 in Northern Europe, as only two such simulators are operated in the region - both by Air Baltic.
The new simulator will not only support internal pilot training, but will also be used for technical training and can be rented by other airlines. This will provide Air Baltic with enhanced training capacity not only for its own crew, but also for external customers, including airlines and training organizations from different countries.