The Transport Ministry plans to purchase an Airbus A 320 full flight simulator for the training of pilots who will fly Airbus and Boeing aircraft, Economedia.ro reported.

The investment in the simulator is estimated at maximum EUR 12 million.

The purchase is to be approved through a Government decision. It will allow the country to have its own infrastructure to train local pilots and offer services for pilots from outside the country.

At present, the Romanian Aviation Academy has static systems and a full flight simulator for Boeing 737 NG. As a result, pilots need to train outside of the country, at higher costs, the institution explained.

In order to receive their license, pilots need to undergo training on a full flight simulator, the Transport Ministry said in the document outlining the need for the acquisition. Carriers active in Romania use the services of centers in Bulgaria, France or Turkey to train their crew, leading to additional costs with transport and accommodation.

“The flight simulators in the endowment of the Academy are static ones; training on them is only one of the stages pilots need to cover in regular training programs. In 2017, the Romanian Aviation Academy decided to expand its training offer; to this end, it plans to purchase full flight simulators,” the document reads.

The feasibility study and the economic analysis for the acquisition were drafted at the end of 2020.

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simona@romania-insider.com