Air NZ opens $8m training facility in Christchurch

The centre of gravity for heavy maintenance is shifting to Canterbury.

Air New Zealand has launched a new $8 million aviation engineer education facility in Christchurch to draw in extra foreign students.

The national airline wants to boost international and domestic trainee numbers at the Orchard Rd facility north of Christchurch Airport as international data shows demand for aviation engineers is increasing.

David Morgan, Air New Zealand’s chief flight operations and safety officer, said it was not necessary for the airline to make a profit on the $8m investment, as safety and training was a priority for the group.

The new institute shifted staff and students from a previous leased building nearer the airport. It was estimated student numbers would grow around 15 per cent over the next few years.

‘‘Through the aviation footprint we can obviously contribute significantly to the purchasing of goods, local products and services, promoting inbound visitors and drawing international students,’’ Morgan said.

‘‘The facility itself is a result of a decision we made off the back of the [2010-2011 Canterbury] earthquakes. The previous facility did suffer some damage.’’

The facility would also allow the airline to conduct flight attendant regulatory training, group health training and security and employee wellbeing courses.

The institute was one of the few outside Europe that had engineer training that fitted within the requirements of the European Avi-

David Morgan Air NZ

ation Safety Agency. That meant the trainees could engineer European aircraft.

It also fitted in with Air New Zealand’s signalled $3 billion investment over the next few years on aircraft including A320s, A321s and the ATR-600 fleet.

The new aircraft, which needed less servicing, were based in Auckland. That meant it made sense to base more engineering services in Christchurch, Morgan said.

‘‘The centre of gravity for heavy maintenance is shifting to Canterbury.’’

Aviation Institute general manager Jignasha Patel said the school was catering for 30 to 40 international students and another 30 domestic trainees.

As well, it was the training base for hundreds of Air New Zealand engineering staff, helping upgrade their skills.

The institute owned aircraft including a Cessna, Piper and Conquest for students to work on.

Industry forecasts, released in 2015, predicted the world would need one million more pilots and engineers between now and 2024, Patel said.

‘‘That means close to 50,000 pilots and engineers each year globally.’’