Airbus, Escuela de Aviación México (EAM), and the State of Yucatán have officially inaugurated Heliescuela, which is a new helicopter pilot school in the State of Yucatán.

The opening ceremony was held at Merida International Airport with the presence of Mauricio Vila Dosal, Governor of the State of Yucatan; Alfredo Velazquez, Managing Director of Escuela de Aviación Mexico; and Ricardo Capilla, CEO of Airbus Mexico.

Heliescuela Yucatán is capable of training up to 12 commercial pilots during its first year of operation, with a capacity of 1,800 flight hours per year. After that, Heliescuela will increase its ability to train cadets to 18 pilots per year, with the option to further expand its training capacity based on industry and operator demand.

There will be several types of training offered at this new training center, including Ab-Initio courses for new pilots, courses for current commercial pilots, fixed-wing to helicopter transition courses, among other curricular options. These training courses will be offered aboard three Schweizer 300CBi helicopters and an Elite TH-100 simulator.

This new pilot school is part of Airbus and EAM’s commitment to pilot training as a pillar of aviation safety in Mexico.