Etihad Flight College, a subsidiary of Etihad Airways, has signed a purchase agreement for four Phenom 100E jets, and options for three additional aircraft of the same type. Based on current list prices the deal is valued at about US$30 million if all options are exercised, and deliveries of the aircraft to the college will start in the first quarter of 2016.

The delivery of the four jets will bring the number of aircraft in the trainer fleet to 20; currently it comprises 16 single engine propeller aircraft.

“As the national airline of the UAE, it is vital for us to establish a world-class training facility to support the training and manpower development of the local Emirati workforce, while also providing a source of well-trained, highly skilled pilots for our growing operations,” remarks Etihad Airways coo Richard Hill.

“The Phenom 100E's airline-grade technology, performance and reliability make it an ideal initial training platform to prepare our cadets for line operations.”

Based at Al Ain international airport, the Etihad Flight College is said to be the first organisation in the world to use multi-engine aircraft in the core phase of its Multi Crew Pilot License (MPL) training programme.

In addition, the college has now had its MPL certified as an approved training organisation by the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority. The MPL programme provides students with the core competencies required of a pilot in today's aviation marketplace. It has been established to focus on relevant and operator-specific training, rather than the traditional model of performance-based training.

Established following the acquisition of the fixed wing division of Horizon International Flight Academy from Mubadala in September 2014, the college will train up to 200 Emirati and international cadets annually.