CAE trains new pilots for 225° program

CAE will train more than 700 new professional pilots over the next 10 years for Southwest Airlines' Destination 225° program at CAE's aviation academy in Phoenix, Arizona.

CAE will screen, assess and train cadets selected bySouthwest Airlines. Starting in January 2020, the selected cadets will beginFAA pilot licensing ground school followed by flight training at CAE. To joinSouthwest Airlines, the pilots can choose between two pathways to gain theFederal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airline Transport Pilot (ATP)requirements. In the first pathway, pilots can accumulate 1,500 hours as flightinstructors at CAE Phoenix; in the second pathway, they have the opportunity toapply for First Officer positions with Destination 225° exclusive launchpartners XOJET Aviation and Jet Linx. The business-jet pathway allows pilots tobuild their flying experience operating state-of-the-art business jets whileenjoying the quality of life, compensation and benefits of being an XOJETAviation or Jet Linx pilot, including the opportunity to upgrade toCaptain.

CAE, XOJET Aviation and Jet Linx, as well as global businessaviation benchmarking organization ARGUS, were selected as exclusive partnersfor the Destination 225° cadet program because of their cultural alignment withSouthwest Airlines, commitment to safety, and dedication to setting a new,enhanced standard for pilot training.

This training program is enabled by enhanced training,safety and operational reporting measures endorsed by Southwest Airlines andits exclusive partners. Both pathways lead to a transition Transport trainingprogram that bridges experience from flight instruction to commercial transportoperations. Once completed, pilots with the required experience can apply toSouthwest Airlines as First Officer candidates and undergo Southwest's rigorousnew-hire pilot training and Boeing 737NG type-rating training at the airline'sstate-of-the-art training facility in Dallas.