Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has accredited Oman Aviation Academy (OAA) by awarding the first Approved Training Organization (ATO) certificate earlier in the week , at an event in Authority's headquarters.
Oman Aviation Academy (OAA) is the first aviation training academy in Oman aiming to provide a high standard of civil and military aviation training in the Middle East and Africa region.
“We congratulate the Oman Aviation Academy for obtaining the license certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority as the first accredited institution for civil aviation training in the Sultanate of Oman,” the CAA said in a recent post.
“The Academy is one of the projects supervised by the Ministry of Finance through the Partnership for Development Programme (Offset),” it further stated.
For the purpose of granting the credentials , the four stage audit by CAA also covered a review of the Academy’s training manuals and curricula, and a full inspection of its simulators and flight training aircraft.
Capt Abdullah bin Murad al Balushi, CEO – Oman Aviation Academy, said the new license will enable the institution to place the country on “the world map for civil aviation training”.
OAA is as a joint venture between Oman National Investments Development Company (TANMIA), The Omani Authority for Partnership for Development (OAPFD), Airbus Helicopters, Al-Hosn Investment Company and the Ministry of Defence Pension Fund.
In April 2022 , CAE had signed a service agreement with the Omani Authority for Partnership for Development (OAPFD) to support the establishment of the Oman Aviation Academy.
As per the agreement , CAE to provide key elements required for ab initio pilot training, including curriculum and courseware as well as safety management and quality control systems. CAE will also train the flight instructors who will teach at the academy.
When fully operational, the Academy will boast a campus designed to international standards. Featuring a total built-up area of 35,000 sq metres, the facility will have a capacity to accommodate around 150 students per annum and will be equipped with state-of-the art training systems, including four flight simulators.
Based on a purchase agreement with Diamond Aircraft Austria in October 2019 , the Academy has acquired Six single-engine DA40 NG and two twin-engine DA42-VI at its facility in the Sohar Airport.
Oman Aviation Academy (OAA) has also received FTD-1 including FNPT-II/MCC qualification in April 2022 . EASA performed the qualification on the MPS Boeing 737 MAX FTD. The simulator is located at Sohar Airport in Oman and is the first of its kind in the region.
While Presenting the ‘Approved Training Organisation’ (ATO) certificate to Oman Aviation Academy , Eng Naif bin Ali al Abri, President – CAA , said the license was issued following an extensive audit of the Academy’s capabilities, its compliance with various national and international requirements, and overall financial wherewithal.
In the venture , playing a key role as an offset partner is Airbus Helicopters , while CAE, a global aviation training organisation, is a strategic partner in the establishment of the campus and its curriculum.
