Keewatin Air LP is supporting parent company Exchange Income Corporation (EIC) through the development and Transport Canada certification of the company's new simulator facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the first commercially operated Level D full motion B200/350 King Air simulator in Canada.

Keewatin Air LP led the build and certification effort on behalf of EIC, whose air operator subsidiaries operate the largest fleet of King Air aircraft in Canada. This new Canadian-based training capability will deliver significant benefits for Canadian King Air operators by supporting initial and annual recurrent training in Canada, training that previously required travel and scheduling in facilities outside the country.

“This new domestic simulator capacity is a meaningful investment in safety, operational excellence and workforce development,” shares Mark Goulden, VP operations, Exchange Income Corporation Flight Training Academy. “Being able to train Canadians in Canada on a best-in-class, full-motion Level D simulator strengthens readiness, supports standardisation and directly reflects the environments and destinations across Nunavut and other Canadian remote airports, that our crews fly in each day.”

Designed to enhance operational realism and scenario-based learning, the full motion simulator and the associated King Air 360 flight training device include northern and remote airport environments that support training that is highly relevant to real-world operations. The facility is housed in a new building adjacent to the Winnipeg airport, Keewatin Air's home base and a central Canadian location that improves accessibility for pilots and aircrew.

The simulator facility and associated training devices represent an investment of more than $20 million, reflecting EIC's commitment to safety, proficiency and performance. Feedback from aviators involved throughout the development and certification process has been extremely positive, noting the simulator's quality, realism and adaptability to multiple training scenarios.

The facility will also support additional opportunities to augment training programmes across EIC's portfolio, including the Indigenous Pilot Pathway and Life in Flight. Keewatin Air and the EIC family also look forward to exploring additional partnerships with additional Canadian and additional King Air operators, keeping Canada at the forefront of state-of-the-art aviation training.

“With this exciting new capacity now certified and operational, we are excited about what's next for us and EIC in the training space,” concludes Ryan Degroot, president and CEO of Keewatin Air. "This is a significant step forward for safety and capability, and it's only the beginning.”