British Airways Engineering, a Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) provider, is expanding its commercial Learning Academy to help customers as they bring Boeing 787s and Airbus A380s into their fleets. The first such course targets engineers wishing to qualify in 787 B1/B2 maintenance theory with the Trent 1000 engine. The first commercially available course, which commences on June 3, 2013, has openings for 16 students and will run for 35 working days.
The 787 training course and state-of-the-art classroom built to Boeing specifications is ideal for the commercial market, and draws heavily on British Airways Engineering’s extensive firsthand experience in aircraft maintenance.
The training rooms are equipped with virtual technology that is able to simulate aspects of the aircraft’s mechanical and avionic systems behaviour. This means engineers can explore and understand the workings of the 787 without having to leave the classroom. The facilities are capable of supporting more than six training sessions per year, scaled to cater for the high demand British Airways Engineering anticipates. Following the deployment of British Airways’ own 787 fleet, British Airways Engineering plans to offer additional training for the practical elements of the qualification.
Having already run the course for its own engineers, along with a sister course for the Airbus A380, British Airways Engineering is the first approved training school in the world able to deliver B1/B2 training for both the 787 and A380. It intends to offer A380 B1/B2 training on a commercial basis later this year.
David Smyth, Engineering training manager at British Airways Engineering, commented: “With so many operators integrating 787s into their fleets in the coming years, there will be a huge demand for associated training courses. We have invested heavily in our training infrastructure and personnel over the past few years to ensure that we are well placed to take advantage of this commercial opportunity. Our mix of operational experience and skilled instructors will prove highly beneficial as we launch these services. We have already run the 787 course four times for British Airways engineers, meaning that our customers will benefit from what is already a mature course.”