APATS 2025: An Agenda Focused on Relevant, Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities

APATS 2025 will convene this 25-27 August at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Conference organizer Jacques Drappier and his team have assembled a conference agenda with sessions and workshops aligned with the current- and near-term trends, challenges and opportunities facing Asia-Pacific civil aviation training enterprises. 

A glance at recent, representative developments and activities in the region certain to find their way into summit proceedings and exhibition hall discussions are contained in this report.

Sustained Order and Delivery Activities

The imperative to recruit, train and retain pilots, maintenance technicians, cabin crews and other airline personnel will continue well into the future, driven by recent aircraft orders and deliveries. A glance at new order ledgers for this 8 May through 16 July indicated the region’s airlines signed up for 142 aircraft from Airbus, 23 from Boeing and another 19 from ATR. This 17 June, the COMAC website reported, “From the beginning of this year, two new customers, i.e. Lao Airlines and Vietjet Air, have been gained for C909 aircraft. So far, three Southeast Asian airlines, including TransNusa, have cumulatively operated C909 aircraft in 15 routes in 18 cities.” Beyond orders, Boeing also righted its supply chain issues, and overcame tariff and other geopolitical impediments to deliver eight aircraft to Chinese customers this June.

Technology Enhancements in the Learning Continuum

Training organizations are embracing an array of learning technologies within budgets and requirements. This June, while Cebu Pacific and CAE announced the S&T company will deliver an A330neo simulator (the sixth) for the carrier, Acron Aviation signed a new contract with ANA for a sixth Boeing 787 full flight simulator. Beyond hardware, CPaT Global announced in June that it had been awarded a new contract with Vietjet for the supply of Airbus A320 CEO and Airbus A320 NEO Aircraft System courses, General Subjects, and Full Aircraft Procedures Suite, which includes FMS Skills Trainer, 3-D Cockpit Trainer, and 3-D Walk Around Trainer. In the training aircraft market, Diamond Aircraft revealed its regional sales partner, Asian Aerospace Services Ltd., signed a new agreement with Malaysian flight training organization BATS Aviation Sdn Bhd for the delivery of a DA40 NG aircraft, with an option for an additional DA42-VI.

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Upending Business Models

Disparate forces are encouraging simulation and training industry companies to pivot to new partnerships to strengthen their supply chains and other aspects of their business models. A recent example of this activity was noted this May when Acron Aviation and Zhuhai Xiangyi Aviation Technology Company Limited (ZHFTC) agreed for Acron Aviation to supply the simulator management unit for a new Airbus A350 Full Flight Simulator (FFS). ZHFTC will build Acron Aviation’s SMU into its A350 Level D FFS device.

Beyond Legacy-era Aircraft Design

Innovation is rippling through Asia-Pacific aircraft fleets, with major implications for training enterprises. In one case, this 20 June, it was announced VoltAero signed an agreement with HM Aerospace, Malaysia’s flight training academy, for 15 Cassio 330 electric-hybrid aircraft with an option for 15 more. The aircraft will be introduced after certification by EASA and validation by Malaysia’s civil aviation authority. The adjacent eVTOL market is also evolving. This April, Ehang was certified by Civil Aviation Administration of China for pilotless flight for its EH216-S – the first air operator certificate for pilotless aerial vehicles carrying human passengers. First flights will be for limited low-altitude tourism and urban sightseeing tours at Guangzhou and Hefei only. Air taxi services still remain three to five years out.

Regulatory Agencies Collaborating

EASA and IATA are publishing a comprehensive plan to mitigate the risks stemming from global navigation satellite system (GNSS) interference. The report comes on the heels of a successful workshop convened this May on the topic. In another instance of synchronizing the APATS agenda to contemporary training challenges, the topic will be addressed in a Pilot track session on 26 August. With progress occurring across the global aviation community in a number of sectors it is refreshing to see regulatory agencies announcing collaboration on another effort – the certification of AAMs. Relevant to 2025 APATS, CASA and the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand were among the five national aviation agencies to support a collaborative roadmap for AAM certification.

Calendar Holder: 25-27 August 2025

Halldale Group and the APATS 2025 team look forward to providing an informative and relevant summit next month for delegates and exhibitors. We will be posting more insights on the APATS sessions and workshops through the next four weeks.