Abu Dhabi Aviation Training Center (ADATC) and Resource Group have signed a memorandum of understanding in order to establish an Aviation Maintenance Training Centre of Excellence (AMTCoE) that will serve the UAE and wider regional market.

The UAE's aviation sector includes leading aviation companies and continues to be an important contributor to the region's ongoing and future sustainable development. Sustainability requires the addressing of critical skills shortages that may be created by significant growth, thereby reducing the dependency on imported skills through the development of home grown skills. Aside from the UAE's domestic market the UAE's role as a major worldwide transport hub makes it an ideal geographic location for students to study and attain globally recognised aviation maintenance qualifications.

The proposed collaboration will leverage the outstanding reputation in operations and MRO of Abu Dhabi Aviation, ADATC's parent company, as well as its extensive local and international client base. Resource Group, through its aviation technical training business, brings EASA and GCAA training approvals, 15 years of worldwide training delivery and a reputation for civil and military, fixed and rotary wing maintenance training. To be housed in ADATC, the AMTCoE would be co-located with ADATC's existing flight crew training offering and state of the art full motion simulators.

Resource Group MD for training solutions Ian Fitzpatrick says: “This MoU is the result of 18 months of business planning and due diligence and represents a firm first step toward the ultimate objective of establishing the AMTCoE in the UAE. For us it represents a key strategic expansion of our outstanding training offering and we are delighted be alongside such a reputable partner in Abu Dhabi. The ultimate aim will be of course to train for Abu Dhabi Aviation and other large organisations but also to potentially offer individuals a route into our fantastic industry that doesn't otherwise exist currently.”

Resource Group CEO Stephan Hickman adds: “The signing of this MoU is an important development in Resource Group's ambition to continue the expansion of its global aviation training footprint. We are especially pleased to be taking this step with Abu Dhabi Aviation, one of the longest established and most respected aviation businesses in the Middle East that has a truly global reach.”

ADATC MD General Ahmed Al Khouri concludes: “We are pleased to announce this partnership with Resource Group, a UK leading Part-147 approved training organisation, in order to provide first class technical training in Abu Dhabi. Resource Group has over 15 years of industry embedded experience of a wide range of training services. ADATC and Resource Group will cooperate and combine their strengths to form a formidable training organisation in the region. The training organisation will operate from our training centre in Abu Dhabi and will be a regional training hub covering the Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific region. The training organisation will provide practical hands-on technical training of basic and fundamentals."