Etihad Airways pilots can now fly Airbus A350 and A380 aircraft

The national airline of the UAE has become one of the few where pilots can fly the Airbus A350 and A380. Etihad Airways said that this approval was obtained after obtaining stringent regulatory approvals and completing comprehensive training. “This achievement will increase the resilience of the destination network, with safety always being Etihad Airways’ top priority,” said Mohammed Al Bulooki, Chief Operating Officer.

Etihad Airways had to seek regulatory approval from its Civil Aviation Authority after demonstrating full compliance with Airbus's pilot training requirements for both aircraft types. The pilots involved must have gained at least five years and 3,000 hours of extensive experience on the A350 or A380 before they can begin their training on the other model. Training to fly the second Moell aircraft typically lasts for three months and includes three distinct phases of ground training, simulator training and scheduled supervised flights before pilots become fully qualified to fly both aircraft, Etihad Airways explains.

All dual-qualified pilots complete comprehensive refresher training in the simulator and a scheduled flight check every six months, as well as a scheduled flight evaluation every 12 months, changing aircraft types in order to always maintain the full efficiency of the Airbus A350 and A380 aircraft.