Aviation

airBalticTraining Pilot Academy Opens Application Process

Riga. The Latvian airline airBaltic today, on December 11, 2017, opens application process for
candidates to the airline’s newly established Pilot Academy at airBalticTraining. Persons selected
will be the first class of students of the professional airline pilot training programme and will
become airBaltic pilots upon completion of the programme in about two years from now.
Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: “airBaltic is growing rapidly and over the next
five years we are planning to recruit over 1 000 highly educated professionals.

Now we are taking one step further by introducing a new education programme for our future commercial pilots. It is not only one of the most fascinating professions in the world, but highly sought after one as well.”
Pauls Cālītis, airBaltic SVP Flight Operations: “Over the years airBalticTraining has gained
significant experience in training aviation professionals. Now we are expanding our capabilities to
offer the most modern and professional training programme for new pilots. Pilot Academy is the
only programme to offer high calibre pilot training, which will lead to employment as an airBaltic
pilot. We are proud to create this unique opportunity for Latvians and our Baltic neighbours to
become airBaltic pilots of the future.”

The application process for the first academic year will end on January 8, 2018. At the beginning
airBaltic is planning to educate 20 pilots per year. airBalticTraining Pilot Academy is planning to
start the first academic year in March, 2018 with the theoretical training courses. For more
information and applications, please visit: http://airbaltictraining.com/pilotacademy/en/ .

Aviation

Airbus Enhances A350 Cabin with 10-Abreast Seating

Airbus has announced a new partnership with Jiatai Aircraft Equipment, a Chinese aircraft seating manufacturer, to supply upgraded economy-class seats for the A350 widebody series.

This collaboration, unveiled at the 2024 Airshow China, focuses on developing a newly designed economy seat tailored for the A350‘s New Production Standard (NPS) cabin.

One of the key features of the NPS cabin is the ability to accommodate 17-inch wide economy seats, compared to the previous 16.5-inch wide seats that airlines were limited to in the A350’s earlier configurations.

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This change is made possible by the expanded space in the NPS cabin, which is 35 inches longer and 4 inches wider than the previous version. This extra space is achieved by slightly moving the cockpit wall forward and shifting the rear pressure bulkhead back by one frame.

The wider cabin allows airlines to add up to 30 extra economy seats without compromising comfort. For airlines opting for a 3-4-3 seating layout, the 17-inch wide seats are an excellent choice for a more comfortable passenger experience. However, some airlines, such as Iberia, may choose to retain a 9-abreast layout with wider seats for added comfort.

The NPS cabin also offers enhanced flexibility for airline operators. One major advantage is the ability to easily switch between a 9-abreast and 10-abreast seating configuration without requiring significant downtime for aircraft reconfiguration. Airlines can use the same seat rails, tracks, and IFE interfaces, making the transition smoother and quicker.

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In addition, the design of the floor attachments and air-conditioning systems has been optimized for 10-abreast seating, meaning airlines can upgrade their cabins without needing to make substantial modifications to the aircraft’s structure.

Though it’s still unclear when Jiatai’s economy-class seats will be officially added to the A350’s Buyer Furnished Equipment (BFE) catalogue, the collaboration marks a significant step toward enhancing the A350’s cabin offerings.

With this partnership, Airbus is providing more seating options for airlines, ensuring that they can meet diverse customer needs while improving overall operational efficiency.