BANGALORE: CAE, the Canada-based leader in flight simulators and training, is setting up its first aviation training centre in India. The facility, coming up near the new Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli, will be operational by the end of 2007, Jeff Roberts, Group President, CAE, said here on Friday.

The centre might train up to 1,000 pilots to start with. CAE would invest $20 million on this facility with four flight simulators. Partnership options were being considered, Mr. Roberts said.

CAE had a partnership with Airbus but the company would be training here commercial pilots to upgrade their skills for newer and bigger aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, Mr. Roberts, who heads the company's civil training and services division, said. Its training facility in Dubai had already trained pilots for most private Indian airlines.

The Bangalore centre would serve India-based airlines and those from surrounding countries, he said. As part of the CAE-Airbus collaboration, training would be given to pilots, cabin crew and aircraft maintenance technicians.

The centre would also serve the needs of the CAE Global Academy, a new training alliance, to address the global shortage of pilots.

"Indian carriers now have around 200 aircraft operating and have ordered at least 400 more aircraft to be delivered over the next five years and this will need more than 1,000 new pilots each year. We have been serving the Indian market for 35 years. Mr. Roberts said.

CAE has current annual revenues of over one billion Canadian dollars.

The company has sold nearly 700 simulators, many to Indian carriers.

It operates 20 aviation centres, serving more than 3,000 airlines worldwide.

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