Hawaiian Airlines Expands Training in Anticipation of New A321neo Fleet
Hawaiian Airlines will soon have a second Full Flight Simulator at its Honolulu-based pilot training facility.
The airline announced on Wednesday that an agreement with Lockheed Martin Commercial Flights had been entered to purchase a FFS.
According to Hawaiian, the new A320 simulator would allow the airline to continue its Advanced Qualification Program for pilots using “the most advanced and sophisticated technology available.”
The airline is beginning to prepare for the arrival of its A321neo fleet, set to be in by 2017.
In 2013, Hawaiian became the first Hawai’i-based airline to have an on-site FFS for its pilots. The company says the A320 FFS is a multi-million-dollar investment, but that it is anticipated to return several millions of dollars in annual savings.
Hawaiian plans to hire 200 new pilots with the addition of the A321neo fleet in 2017. Sixteen new A321neo aircraft are expected between 2017 and 2020, and an additional nine are within the company’s rights for purchase.
Each A321neo will seat 189 passengers and can operate within 3,650 miles.