Etihad Flight College has expanded its fleet of trainer aircraft with the delivery of two Extra EA 330 LT aircraft. The aircraft were shipped and reassembled by the manufacturer at the Flight College's hangar in Al Ain and will be showcased at the Abu Dhabi Air Expo, where they will participate in the acrobatic display to officially open the event.

The Extra aircraft will be used for prevention and recovery training, which equips pilots with the skills to recognise, prevent and, if necessary, recover from a developing or developed airplane loss of control event.

Christopher Ranganathan, Etihad Airways' Vice President Operations Training, said: "Our main aim is to train pilots who are able to demonstrate safe, effective and efficient operations, and the addition of these new trainer aircraft greatly support this goal."

The two aircraft join the college's existing fleet of trainer aircraft which includes 13 Cessna 172s and six Diamond DA42NG aircraft. The fleet will be further enhanced with the arrival of four additional Embraer Phenom 100 aircraft which are expected to arrive later this year.

Based in Al Ain, the Etihad Flight College runs a Multi-Crew Pilot License (MPL) program to train up to 120 Emirati and international cadets each year from Etihad Airways and its partners Alitalia and Air Seychelles.

Contributed by Etihad Airways