APATS 2025: Linking Asia-Pacific Civil Aviation Industry Developments

We’re at D-10 until the start of Asia Pacific Aviation Training Summit (APATS) at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. This is another quick-look at developments and trends in the region’s civil aviation industry that are relevant to the summit’s broad agenda focusing on pilots, cabin crew, maintenance technicians and other professionals.

MPL

MPL (multi-crew pilot license) in Asia Pacific? You bet! Chris Ranganathan, Chief Learning Officer at CAE will host the Wednesday 27 August (14:15-15:45) Implementing MPL in APAC Workshop. This event is relevant given the interest of organizations across Asia-Pacific in examining their moves to begin or enhance MPL programs in India and elsewhere.

Increased Operations and Capacity

There’s an imperative for the industry across the region to recruit, train and retain individuals given the increase in operations and capacity projected through the end of this decade. As airlines serving the region increase their frequency of flights, there are also new airlines entering service. This 13 August, Avion Express Philippines, a subsidiary of Avia Solutions Group, obtained its Temporary Operating Permit from the Philippines’ Civil Aeronautics Board. The TOP marks a major step toward launching the start-up airline’s aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance operations from Clark International Airport once it receives its first aircraft, which is expected this November. Training enterprises are also increasing their capacity in anticipation of the increased demand for new pilots. One representative development saw Cebu Pacific and CAE signing an agreement to expand their CAE Philippines joint venture with the deployment of an Airbus A330neo FFS full-flight simulator. Recruit, train and retain industry professionals will be a common theme among the APATS sessions and workshops.

Training to Navigate Electronic Threats

Jamming, GPS denial and like challenges are not exclusive incidents in military operations. Indeed, an increase in the deliberate manipulation of electronic navigation signals are routinely reported in Myanmar and other locations across Asia-Pacific. The Tuesday 26 August Pilot Session 4: Panel Discussion - GPS Jamming/Spoofing (1630-1800) led by Roshan Joshi, Technical Director at Association of Asia Pacific Airlines, and Captain Sander van Bergen, Head of Flight Training - Airbus Beijing, Airbus, will explore training gaps and other developments on this safety of flight topic.