On May 14, Australia's Queensland Minister for State Development John Mickel and the CEO of Hong Kong-based Flight Training Group ( FTG ), Mr. Keith Morgan, announced the decision by FTG to establish a professional airline pilot training facility in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.

"FTG is a subsidiary of Young Brothers Aviation - a global aviation company with aviation interests in Europe, USA and Asia and long-term relationships with airlines such as Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, China Airlines, Emirates, JAL Express, Vietnam Airlines and Air China - Zhejiang Company," Minister Mickel said.

"The Flight Training Group, through Flight Training Adelaide, has established a global reputation for providing high quality airline pilot training to many of world's leading airlines. FTA is now operating at capacity and will continue to do so for the immediate future," Mr. Morgan said.

"The Flight Training Group will establish a major airline pilot training facility to be known as 'Flight Training Queensland' (FTQ) in Maryborough, two and a half hours drive north of Brisbane, where negotiations with the local airport operator, the Maryborough City Council, are currently being finalised."

"This greenfield development will apply the lessons learned from 25 years of airline pilot training at FTA. We will employ modern design principles to create an integrated campus incorporating operational buildings such as a hangar, classrooms, simulator section and flight operations with residential accommodation, dining and recreational facilities to cater for up to 200 students at any one time," Mr. Morgan said.

"FTQ will ramp up incrementally over a three year period and in its mature state will employ more than 100 staff, be home to approximately 40 training aircraft and fly more than 38,000 training hours per year, making use of facilities at both Maryborough and Hervey Bay airports. Operations at FTQ are planned to commence in mid 2008."

"Maryborough was chosen as the site for FTQ after a detailed evaluation of numerous sites around Australia. It offers an ideal combination of aviation infrastructure, training airspace, prevailing weather and local support."

Mr. Morgan said the global shortage of pilots and the rapidly increasing demand in the emerging aviation sectors of India and China presents a significant export opportunity for Australia's aviation training sector.