Eighteen of Gulf Air’s brightest trainee engineers, 11 Bahrainis and seven Omanis, have headed to Australia to complete their training.
The group part of the Gulf Air Gulf nationals training programme, will spend 18 months with Brisbane-headquartered Australia Aviation, one of the world’s foremost aircraft engineering training establishments.
The Gulf nationals engineering programme provides young school leavers and university graduates with access to a respected and established career as a licensed aircraft engineer. The programme totals a five year investment including 36 months training, classroom and on the job training and relevant work experience to meet the assessment requirements for a JAR accreditation. These young Gulf nationals complete the programme with a globally recognised accreditation.
Aviation Australia is an E.A.S.A (European Aviation Safety Agency) Regulation Part 147 approved training facility, established by the Queensland Government to support the development and growth of the aviation and aerospace industries in the Asia Pacific region. It has, in recent years, increasingly extended into the Middle East.
Gulf Air Technical Training and Development Manager Tim De Alwis, says following recent changes to European Regulations, the trainees would have had to undergo an additional five year, practical, hands-on training programme, in-house, in order to meet the new requirements.
“In order to effectively ‘fast-track’ the trainee engineers, we opted to use the state-of-the-art facilities of Australia Aviation,” he said. “By selecting this method we not only save a significant amount of money compared to having to extend the training in-house to meet all the new European standards, we will also benefit from having productive, certified engineers working for Gulf Air in a shorter timeframe – some three years quicker than if we did it in house.”
While De Alwis leads a team to obtain the necessary new certification standards, the trainee engineers are ready for their Australian ‘adventure.’
Bahraini, Mohammed Darwish and Omani Mazin Al Ismaili who topped the recent examination tables, are excited and grateful for the opportunity being provided to them.
“The Gulf National programme opened an unexpected door for me into the aviation industry,” said Mohammed. “I graduated with a degree in electronics engineering form Bahrain University and wasn’t sure how best to use it. I am really enjoying myself and look forward upgrading my skills in Australia and returning to work in Bahrain as soon as possible.”
Mazin said aviation ran in his family, with his father being a pilot in the Oman Royal Air Force.
“I grew up around planes and always wanted a career in the aviation industry, and I couldn’t wait. So I left high school and managed to get accepted to the Gulf Air Nationals programme straight away,” he said.
“Now within a matter of months I am off to Australia and am looking forward to working at Aviation Australia and working in various outstations as part of the programme. I am very grateful to Gulf Air for this opportunity.
About Gulf Air
Founded in 1950, Gulf Air is presently owned by the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and is the only truly Pan Gulf carrier in the region.
More than half a century later, the regional, geographic and cultural values that the airline has embraced over more than half a century are still central in defining the brand and service ethos within the contemporary and global environment.
Today the airline’s network stretches from Europe to Asia and covers 44 cities in 30 countries. The fleet comprises 34 aircraft.
Under President and Chief Executive James Hogan, the successful implementation of the first phase of a restructuring programme, which commenced in 2003, has resulted in the establishment of a platform for sustained commercial operation.
It has also provided a framework for a succession of innovative products and services including the unique Sky Chefs and Sky Nannies that form part of Gulf Air’s ‘boutique airline’ vision.
The dramatic turnaround in fortunes has won international recognition. The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) presented the airline with the prestigious Airline Turnaround of the Year Award for 2003. Gulf Air was also the recipient of the 2003 Platinum Award for the Best Airline in the Middle East and North Africa, which recognised the airline’s commitment to service excellence. Other awards include:
Winner - Middle East & North African Platinum Best Airline Travel Award 2004
Winner - Skytrax Most Improved Airline Award 2004
Winner - Skytrax Best First Class Onboard Food Category 2004
Winner - Skytrax Best Business Class Check-in Category 2004
