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Education Zone at Aviation City to meet aviation needs of region

DUBAI — A dedicated education zone at Dubai World Central's Aviation City aims to meet the region's aviation skills needs, according to the facility's CEO.

Dubai World Central will be the world's largest airport when it is completed at Jebel Ali and will host several developments, including Aviation City.

Speaking to Khaleej Times at the recent Aircraft Interiors Middle East 2008, Aviation City CEO Abdulla Ahmed Al Qurashi said the facility would be divided again into four sectors providing aviation manufacturing and repairs, research and development, commercial, and education.

The education zone would comprise up to 10 plots measuring 150,000 sq. feet each and the capacity to greatly increase this volume with multi-storey blocks. "The growth in the aviation sector is high," Al Qurashi said.

"The challenge over the next five to 10 years is the manpower and human resources so there is a focus on the education sector."

Training provider and maintenance companies Spatial Composite Solutions and Livewell are already on board and Al Qurashi said 20 per cent of the education zone was signed up.

Spatial last year signed a deal with Emirates Airline to provide the first A380 cabin simulators for cabin crew training at the airline's Garhoud college.

"The zone will meet the UAE's aviation needs and the region's," Al Qurashi noted.

Al Qurashi said Aviation City was being marketed globally but also had a strong focus on training Emiratis for the industry. "The infrastructure available in Dubai is not available elsewhere," Al Qurashi said.

"Our main objective is to bring Emiratis into the sector."

However, the zone is unlikely to include a flying school due to the traffic at a fully operational airport. "We can't accommodate a flying school as it might not be suitable at a very busy airport," Al Qurashi said.

The practical training will generally be simulator based.

Al Qurashi expects much of the education, including on-the-job training, to complement the requirements for the manufacturing, repairs and overhaul (MRO) businesses in Aviation City.

"Each MRO company needs 250 to 350 employees and there will be some 80 companies in Aviation City," Al Qurashi said, while adding that its first phase would be complete by summer 2009.`

• UAE