Airbus Miami Training Center launches scholarships for A320 Type Rating Qualification and Maintenance Technician qualification

Miami, July 9, 2020 – As part of its ongoing efforts to support the aerospace community during the Coronavirus pandemic, the Airbus Training Center in Miami (ATC) launched an A320 Type Rating Qualification course scholarship for student pilots and aircraft maintenance technicians in the United States.

The initiative is part of a collaboration between the Miami ATC, OBAP (Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals), WAI (Women in Aviation International), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Lynn University to further support the aviation industry’s diversity and future needs.

“Airbus takes great pride in partnering with leading aerospace institutions to support aspiring aviation professionals during these unprecedented times with this scholarship, which directly responds to the growing demand for qualified pilots and technicians throughout the Americas,” said Joe Houghton, Airbus Americas Vice President of Training & Flight Operations.

In total, sixteen students will benefit from the scholarships. The pilot students will be qualified to fly an A320 upon successful completion of the training, and the maintenance students will have the opportunity for becoming candidates for entry-level maintenance positions with Airbus’ airlines and MRO customers. The A320 Family is the world’s most popular single-aisle aircraft family as it is the preferred choice of airlines around the world, being the only single-aisle aircraft offering containerized cargo capabilities, increasing the airlines’ overall operational efficiency.

In response to the pandemic, Airbus Americas has mobilized support for their local communities through initiatives such as this scholarship. Other efforts include food drives, donation campaigns of food, first aid and personal protective equipment – including 3D-printed face shields and disposable and reusable facemasks for frontline responders.

The Airbus Training Center in Miami, Florida, provides training for Airbus customers’ flight and cabin crew as well as maintenance personnel. The custom-designed, 110,000-square-foot complex has seven full-flight simulators, cabin door and slide trainers, state-of-the-art computer-based training classrooms and seven flight training devices simulating the A320, A330, A340 and A350 XWB aircraft. The Miami Airbus Training Center trains approximately 2,200 trainees a year. Trainees come from all over the world, although the majority are from Airbus operators in the United States, Canada and Latin America.

In addition to being the aircraft manufacturer operated by the largest U.S. airlines, Airbus is a major partner of U.S. aerospace companies, supporting 275,000 American jobs. In the last three years, Airbus spent $48 billion in the United States. Its facilities in the U.S. include engineering centers in Kansas and Alabama; flight and maintenance training centers in Florida and Colorado; customer service and headquarters in Virginia; an A320 Family assembly line in Alabama; an innovation center (Acubed) in California; a drone data analysis business (Airbus Aerial) in Georgia and a helicopter manufacturing and assembly in Texas and Mississippi.