CTC takes delivery of more aircraft

Media Release

13 August 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CTC takes delivery of more aircraft as global business activity grows

Hamilton, New Zealand - CTC Aviation Group plc has taken delivery of four additional aircraft to meet the expansion of its airline pilot training operation in Hamilton.

CTC has a reputation for being one of the world’s leading airline pilot training organisations and has been operating at Hamilton Airport since 2005.

The company is currently in the process of expanding its flight instructor team across the Group in the UK and here in NZ, growing it by more than a third. It’s expected to have 52 instructors based in Hamilton by the end of the month or soon after.

The increase in the number of instructors and training aircraft follows an international recruitment drive for more airline pilot trainees earlier in the year.

CTC’s New Zealand Chief Executive, Ian Calvert, says the overall expansion is on the back of world wide industry growth resulting in an increased requirement for airline pilots internationally.

“The arrival of these aircraft is the culmination of our latest growth strategy. There is significant demand globally for airline pilots trained to CTC’s high standards,” says Mr Calvert.

The additional four aircraft for Hamilton are Diamond Katana (DA20) single-engine planes purchased from Canada. After arriving in New Zealand they received their “Certificate of Air Worthiness” from the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority (NZCAA) and have since been undergoing test flights with CTC. The aircraft are expected to become part of the training fleet within the next few days. CTC’s New Zealand training fleet now comprises 35 Diamond, Cessna and Piper aircraft and three flight simulators.

Mr Calvert says it is extremely satisfying to see the growth and success of CTC’s business in Hamilton.

“CTC has such a strong business model internationally with its airline connections. Our focus is on developing solutions for both our international airline clients and individual pilots here in New Zealand and from around the world. Being able to train tomorrow’s airline pilots and provide them with genuine opportunities for placement as first officers with international airlines at the completion of their training gives us a huge advantage.

“In order to maintain this advantage we’ve looked to continually innovate and improve our training methods to ensure we have a sustainable business to meet the demands of the future,” says Mr Calvert.

CTC is a world leading airline training provider, training between 1200 - 1900 aircrew for more than 50 global airlines each year. In addition to its Crew Training Centre in Hamilton, New Zealand, it has three additional centres in the Bournemouth and Southampton areas of the UK.

-ENDS-

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