Preview: EATS 2026 to Explore the Future of Aviation Training

How will the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)'s latest regulations reshape airline training? How is competency-based training moving beyond the flight deck? And is there more than one successful route to producing tomorrow's airline pilots?

These are among the questions that will bring aviation's training community together at EATS 2026, where delegates from across regulatory authorities, and the pilot, ab initio, cabin crew, and maintenance communities will examine the forces reshaping training across the industry.

From Regulation to Reality

One of the biggest talking points will undoubtedly be the introduction of EASA's new Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD) Capability Signature (FCS) regulations. Representing the most significant change to simulator qualification in years, the regulations shift the focus from classifying simulators by device type towards defining what training tasks they are capable ofsupporting.

Opening the discussion will be Ascanio Russo, Acting Head of Aircrew & Medical Department and Chief Pilot at EASA, who will outline the regulator's vision for implementation and explain what the new framework means for training organisations across Europe. He will then join an expert panel chaired by CAE Global Head of Training Standards, Civil,Salvador Costa , bringing together regulators, operators and training designers to debate how the industry should respond.

The CBTA Revolution Spreads

Running throughout this year's programme is another equally important theme: the continuing expansion of Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA). While CBTA has become firmly established in pilot training, one of the most interesting aspects of EATS 2026 is seeing competency-based thinking spread across every discipline.

Nowhere is that more evident than in the maintenance stream. From Trade to Technician: Building Competency-Based Maintenance Training That Works examines how CBTA principles are being applied to address technician shortages, redesign maintenance programmes and replace assumptions based on time served with demonstrated competence. The fact that competency-based training is now becoming a central topic in maintenance highlights just how far the philosophy has spread beyond the flight deck.

The cabin crew programme reflects the same evolution. One workshop delivered by Caroline Creane, an EAAP-certified aviation psychologist and Senior Consultant at Symbiotics, argues that competency begins before training even starts, exploring how better selection processes could improve training outcomes.

Another highlight in the pilot stream is a timely debate on the future of Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL) training. The panel compares two contrasting approaches delivered through training organisation Urbe Aero: easyJet's competency-based, simulator-led pathway and ITA Airways' more traditional aircraft-focused training model. Rather than seeking a single correct answer, the discussion explores whether different training philosophies can produce equally capable airline pilots while balancing efficiency, operational readiness and safety.

IATA CBTA Pre-Event Workshop

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and EATS 2026 will be hosting a pre-event one-day workshop, bringing together regulators, airlines, ATOs and training experts to address the evolution of pilot licensing and competency-based training. This will be a technical forum connecting IATA, authorities and industry to define the next generation of safe, competency-driven aviation training.

The programme will address the integration of training data, evidence-based methodologies, instructor standardisation and programme validation into modern regulatory frameworks.

Technical sessions will examine CBTA and evidence-based (EBT) implementation, competency frameworks, assessment methodologies, regulatory approval pathways and harmonisation of licensing standards. In addition, industry and authorities will discuss the practical challenges of implementing, approving and maintaining CBTA/EBT programmes, including regulatory oversight and continuous compliance.

The Human Side of Aviation

While each stream explores its own specialist challenges, EATS 2026 also recognises that some issues cut across every aviation profession. To close the first day, delegates from the pilot, ab initio, cabin crew, and maintenance streams will come together for a shared plenary session examining human factors and mental health, reinforcing that, regardless of discipline, the industry's greatest asset remains its people.

Europe’s largest aviation training event, designed by and for aviation professionals, takes place from 3-5 November, at the Estoril Congress Centre in Cascais, Portugal.