SriLankan Airlines took a firm step towards transforming Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) into a regional hub for aviation training, with the signing of an agreement with SIM Industries B.V. of the Netherlands to set up a Full Flight Simulator.

The state-of-the-art Flight Simulator will be marketed in the region by both SriLankan (www.srilankan.aero) and SIM Industries (www.sim-industries.com) for the training of pilots in the operation of Airbus A320 aircraft.

The A320 family of aircraft is favoured for mid-range routes among airlines worldwide, including those in the rapidly growing airline industry of the Indian Subcontinent.

"The setting up of this Full Flight Simulator is something we will be doing for the first time in Sri Lanka. It has been a long-time dream for SriLankan Airlines, which will now become a reality," said SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe.

Flight Simulator training is a standard requirement around the world for airline pilots, and SIM Industries BV is one of the world's leading manufacturers and operators of flight simulators. Its full flight simulators contain the most advanced components from aircraft manufacturers, making the training experience a complete replica of real-life cockpit situations.

"SIM Industries has set up a large number of Full Flight Simulators around the world, and it is very important for us to have a training centre in this part of the world. There is a tremendous amount of potential to bring pilot training to Sri Lanka from around this region," said Frank Uit den Bogaard, CEO of SIM Industries.

The Government has set a target for turning Sri Lanka into a hub for Knowledge, as envisioned in the five-pronged programme of the Mahinda Chinthana.

SriLankan CEO Manoj Gunawardena said "Our National Carrier has been closely supporting the Government's vision by strengthening our wide range of facilities to turn BIA into a centre for all aviation related activities, including air travel, tourism, air cargo, aircraft maintenance, airport ground handling, and aviation training. The Full Flight Simulator will become a showpiece of our training facilities."

The final 10-year agreement between SriLankan Airlines and SIM Industries was signed recently at the airline's corporate boardroom in Colombo by SriLankan Chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe, Frank Uit den Bogaard, CEO of SIM Industries, SriLankan CEO Manoj Gunawardena and Bas Klerx, Chief Financial Officer of SIM Industries.