Acron Aviation Commercial Training Solutions (CTS) has secured a multi-year preferred supplier agreement to provide Boeing 737 Type Rating training for ASL Airlines Australia through the end of 2028.

Announced in a September 2, 2026, press release, the contract formalizes a long-term training pipeline following an initial program completed in the first half of 2026. The instruction will continue to be delivered at the CTS London Training Centre.

Tailored Boeing 737 Training Curriculum

The agreement encompasses comprehensive Boeing 737 Type Rating instruction and includes provisions for Airline Pilot Standards Multi-Crew Cooperation (APS MCC) training. A key component of the curriculum is the integration of ASL Airlines Australia’s specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). This tailored approach is designed to ensure pilots transition directly into line operations upon completion of the simulator phases.

Captain Nathan Burkitt, Head of Training and Checking for Flight Operations at ASL Airlines Australia, stated that trainee feedback on the initial courses has been highly favorable.

“Feedback from our trainees on the course, facilities, instructors and overall training environment has been overwhelmingly positive, with particular praise for the instructors’ professionalism, knowledge and commitment to helping every pilot succeed,” Burkitt said.

Corporate Transition and Future Operations

The finalization of this training contract occurs during a period of corporate restructuring for the training provider. On August 26, 2026, parent company Acron Technologies announced a definitive agreement to divest its Commercial Training Solutions business to FlightSafety International (FSI). That transaction includes the Training Systems, Training Services, and Aviation Academy portfolios, and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Despite the pending acquisition, CTS leadership emphasized operational continuity and customer focus. Patrick Davis, Vice President and General Manager of the London Training Centre for Acron Aviation CTS, noted the agreement reflects the airline’s confidence in the facility’s instructional quality.

“We’re delighted that ASL Airlines Australia has extended its partnership with Acron Aviation and selected us as a preferred supplier for Boeing 737 Type Rating training through to the end of 2028,” Davis said.

AirPro News analysis

We view the timing of this multi-year agreement as a positive indicator for the impending integration of the CTS business into FlightSafety International. Securing a guaranteed training pipeline through 2028 provides immediate revenue visibility for the London Training Centre under its new ownership. The commitment from ASL Airlines Australia demonstrates that the pending corporate handover has not deterred operator confidence in the facility’s ability to deliver specialized, SOP-integrated Boeing 737 instruction.

Sources: Acron Aviation

The Boeing Company and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) announced a collaboration on September 1, 2026, to deploy Boeing’s Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) Learning Library across the nation’s flight training organizations.

The initiative marks the first time an aviation regulator has adopted the Boeing CBTA framework across an entire national ecosystem. According to a Boeing press release, the rollout is designed to standardize pilot development and enhance aviation safety amid a projected demand for 66,000 new pilots in Southeast Asia over the next two decades.

Transitioning to competency-based standards

The September announcement follows preparatory work conducted earlier in the year. On March 30 and 31, 2026, CAAT and Boeing Global Services hosted dedicated workshops in Bangkok for Flight Training Organizations (FTO) and Maintenance Training Organizations (MTO). These sessions focused on transitioning the Thai aviation training sector from traditional content-based instruction to a competency-based model, aligning with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

The CBTA methodology prioritizes the development and assessment of specific pilot competencies rather than strictly measuring flight hours or rote memorization. By implementing the Boeing Learning Library at the regulatory level, CAAT aims to ensure a uniform baseline of training quality across all approved flight schools in the country.

“This collaboration represents an important step in advancing pilot training standards in Thailand. By leveraging Boeing’s expertise and CBTA learning solutions, we can further strengthen the quality of pilot training and support the continued growth of Thailand’s aviation industry,” said Iratrachar Amornpipat, Personnel Licensing Department Manager for CAAT.

Addressing regional pilot demand

The ecosystem-wide rollout in Thailand occurs against the backdrop of significant projected growth in the Asia-Pacific aviation market. Boeing estimates that Southeast Asia will require 66,000 new commercial pilots over the next 20 years to support fleet expansion and replace retiring aviators.

Meeting this demand requires scaling training infrastructure without compromising safety margins. The integration of standardized, data-driven training libraries is intended to streamline the cadet-to-first-officer pipeline.

Chris Broom, Vice President of Boeing Commercial Training Solutions, stated that the manufacturer is focused on equipping future pilots with the specific skills required for modern airline operations. He noted that the collaboration will help cadets safely and efficiently operate in an increasingly complex aviation environment.

AirPro News analysis

We view this regulatory-level adoption of a manufacturer’s training library as a notable shift in how pilot training standards are implemented. Historically, CBTA frameworks have been adopted on an airline-by-airline basis, often driven by the specific operational requirements of a carrier. By integrating the Boeing CBTA Learning Library at the CAAT level, Thailand is effectively standardizing the foundational training phase across multiple independent flight schools. This approach reduces the training burden on airlines, as cadets will enter the commercial sector with a uniform, ICAO-compliant competency baseline already established.

Sources: The Boeing Company

Qantas Group officially opened a 6,300-square-meter Emergency Procedures Training Centre at its Mascot campus in Sydney on August 26, 2026, anchoring a $100 million national investment in training infrastructure to support the integration of more than 200 new Commercial-Aircraft.

Announced in a company press release, the flagship facility will train over 10,000 pilots and cabin crew annually across Qantas (QF), Jetstar (JQ), and QantasLink. The opening aligns with a major fleet renewal program and the Airlines preparation for Project Sunrise, which will introduce ultra-long-haul non-stop flights connecting Australia to London.

Facility capabilities and fleet integration

The new Sydney facility is equipped to handle the specific Training requirements of the Group’s incoming fleet. According to Travel Weekly, the center features door trainers supporting eight different aircraft types, allowing crews to familiarize themselves with new airframes before they enter commercial service.

“These investments allow our crews to train on aircraft types before they arrive in the country, including Qantas’ Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR,” Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said.

The Mascot site joins a broader network of seven training facilities operated by the Group across Australia. This includes a St Peters facility near Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) that opened in 2024 with five full-flight simulators, and a separate Emergency Procedures Training Centre that opened in Perth in March 2026. Over the past 12 months, the company has activated seven new flight simulators to manage the increased training volume.

Workforce expansion and financial context

The training center expansion follows a sustained hiring wave for the Australian carrier. Since 2023, Qantas Group has added more than 4,400 Australia-based operational employees.

To support this workforce, the company’s training teams delivered over 1.7 million hours of instruction in the past year, according to figures reported by Australian Aviation. Hudson indicated this volume will continue to grow as the airline takes delivery of additional aircraft and integrates new personnel.

The fleet renewal pipeline includes up to 31 new aircraft scheduled to arrive over the next 12 months, following the Delivery of 17 aircraft during the 2026 financial year. The new arrivals include the Airbus A321XLR and the Airbus A350-1000ULR, alongside existing types such as the Airbus A350, Airbus A320, and De Havilland Dash 8-400. The infrastructure announcement coincided with the release of the Group’s Financial-Results on August 26, 2026, where Travel Monitor reported the company posted an underlying profit before tax of $2.06 billion for the 2026 financial year.

AirPro News analysis

We view the $100 million training infrastructure investment as a necessary prerequisite for Qantas Group’s ambitious fleet transition. Integrating over 200 new aircraft across multiple operating certificates requires a massive throughput of initial and transition training for flight and cabin crews. By establishing domestic training capacity for the Airbus A350-1000ULR ahead of the projected October 2027 launch of Project Sunrise, Qantas mitigates the risk of crew bottlenecks that have historically delayed new route launches at other carriers. The consolidation of training for Qantas, Jetstar, and QantasLink at the Mascot campus also suggests an effort to standardize emergency procedures and maximize simulator utilization across the Group’s subsidiaries.

Sources: Qantas Group