Qantas wins government backing for ‘state significant’ $100m pilot training facility

The airline has unveiled plans for a ‘state significant’ $100m simulation facility partly funded by NSW taxpayers so pilots no longer have to go interstate to train.

The centre would be built on land owned by Asia Pacific logistics specialist LOGOS, which paid $802m to Qantas for a 13.8ha site at Mascot. Picture: James Morgan/Getty Images for Airbus/Qantas

Qantas has unveiled plans to build a $100 million facility in Sydney to train pilots for ultra-long-range flights to cities like New York, London and Paris.

With the backing of the New South Wales state government as a project of “state significance”, the centre will house up to eight flight simulators, including for A350 aircraft which will fly Qantas’s Project Sunrise services due to start in 2025.

As well as training up to 4500 pilots a year, the facility will have an aircraft cabin mock-up, emergency procedures equipment and classrooms.

The previous flight training centre was dismantled to make way for the New South Wales Government’s Sydney Gateway road project, forcing pilots and trainers to travel to Brisbane or Melbourne to maintain their skills.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the new facility due to open in early 2024, would ensure the airline’s high training standards continued as new aircraft types were introduced.

“Qantas has trained its pilots and crew in Sydney for more than half a century and we look forward to bringing this critical function back to New South Wales with this custom-built facility,” Mr Joyce said.

“Sydney will be the launch city for our non-stop flights to London and New York, and will now be the home of pilot training for the A350s.”

Training centres in Melbourne and Brisbane would be maintained, for the use of pilots based in those cities.

Qantas pilots will get their own purpose built facility in Sydney to train for ultra-long-range flights in A350-1000s. Picture: James D. Morgan/Getty Images

Mr Joyce thanked the NSW Government for its support for the new facility under the $60m aviation attraction fund.

Development plans for the centre would be expedited in recognition of its importance, said Minister for Planning Anthony Roberts.

“The NSW government has declared the proposal as ‘state significant’, in recognition of its potential widespread economic benefits and importance to the aviation industry,” Mr Roberts said.

The centre would be built on land owned by Asia Pacific logistics specialist LOGOS, which paid $802m to Qantas for a 13.8ha site at Mascot in October last year.

Construction was expected to start in December for completion by early 2024, with the end value of the facility estimated to be $100m.

LOGOS will fund the build and lease the site for 20-years to international training provider CAE.

The Canadian company will be responsible for maintaining the simulators and managing the day-to-day operations of the facility however senior Qantas and Jetstar training captains will continue to train pilots from those airlines.

Australian and International Pilots Association president Tony Lucas said members would welcome the return of the simulator centre to Sydney.

“It’s the next step along the path to Project Sunrise flights, and good news for our trainers who’ve spent the last two years away from Sydney in either Brisbane or Melbourne,” said Mr Lucas.

Other aircraft type to be accommodated at the centre, included A320s, A330s and A380s from the Airbus family, and Boeing 787s and 737-800s, as well as freighter variants.

Qantas planned to start transitioning its domestic fleet from 737s and 717s to A320neos and A220s from late-2023, in a process that was likely to take about 11-years.

A dozen A350-1000s have been ordered from Airbus specifically designed for 20-hour flights on routes such as Sydney-New York and Sydney-London.

Originally published as Qantas wins government backing for ‘state significant’ $100m pilot training facility