Qantas Group pilot training set to soar in new Sydney flight training centre

Qantas and CAE have officially opened Sydney’s new purpose-built training centre today, where thousands of new and existing Qantas and Jetstar pilots will train each year.

The state-of-the-art facility in St Peters near Sydney Airport, developed in partnership with global training provider CAE, is now home to five full-flight simulators, three fixed training devices and ten classrooms. Further tranches of training equipment will arrive in the coming years, including Australia’s first Airbus A350 simulator that will train Qantas pilots for ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise flights.

The new centre marks the return of Sydney-based flight training for the Group after Qantas relocated its simulators from Sydney to Melbourne and Brisbane in 2021 to make way for the NSW Government’s Sydney Gateway road project.

CAE will operate the new centre and maintain all training equipment. Senior Qantas and Jetstar training captains will continue to train pilots from both airlines, with pilots typically undertaking four simulator sessions per year to remain current in their formal qualifications and up to 15 sessions when training for a new aircraft type.

Pilots and cabin crew will also complete their ground training at the St Peters centre with emergency procedures equipment and aircraft cabin mock-ups until mid-2026 when Qantas will open a new dedicated ground training facility in Mascot. The relocation of ground training equipment will open up additional space at the CAE Sydney flight training centre and enable its transition to a dedicated pilot training facility which will allow the Group to meet growing demand as it welcomes new aircraft.

The formal opening of the centre follows a recent major investment in skills and training that includes a new Qantas Group Safety Academy, a $40 million investment in new ground training facilities and equipment across the country, and the doubling of Qantas Group Pilot Academy scholarships in 2025. The first group of apprentices through the new Qantas Engineering Academy are also due to start in January next year.