CAE Inc., Montreal, has been awarded contracts for three full-flight simulators, visual systems, training devices, updates, and pilot provisioning services by Cathay Pacific, ATR, and Ryanair.

With a combined list-price value of $48-million, the firm says these orders represent its first three full-flight simulator announcements for fiscal year 2007.

CAE has been awarded a contract by longstanding customer Cathay Pacific for the provision of a Boeing 777-300ER full-flight simulator and a number of other flight training devices, as well as an update to an existing simulator.

The simulator and an accompanying B777-300ER integrated procedures trainer as well as seven virtual maintenance trainers are all destined for Cathay Pacific’s training center in Hong Kong, with delivery beginning in autumn 2007.

The fifth full-flight simulator that Cathay Pacific has purchased from CAE since 1992, the B777-300ER simulator will feature the Tropos II Enhanced visual system, which uses satellite imagery as well as sophisticated weather and lighting effects to create highly realistic training scenarios for pilots.

CAE has been awarded contracts by regional aircraft manufacturer ATR, Toulouse, France, to provide an ATR72-500 full-flight simulator as well as two Tropos visual systems and an upgrade to the visual system of an existing simulator.

Having been purchased by ATR for use by Indian low-cost carrier Air Deccan, the simulator is scheduled for a Spring 2008 delivery to the new training center that Air Deccan will be constructing in Bangalore, India.

“The CAE simulator was chosen after having conducted a joint survey with Air Deccan in order to include their needs," Jean-Michel Bigarré, ATR Vice President Training and Flight Operations, says. "This will enable us to share the database with our other simulators using the same CAE Tropos visual system and to offer a cost-efficient solution using state-of-the-art technology.”

CAE says it has once again been chosen by Europe’s largest low-fare carrier, Ryanair, for the provision of its leading-edge flight simulation technology and pilot provisioning services.

Ryanair has exercised an option on a contract announced in July 2002 for a CAE-built Boeing 737-800 full-flight simulator. Equipped with the CAE Maxvue visual system, the simulator is the fourth of its kind that Ryanair has purchased from CAE. It is scheduled to join other CAE-built Boeing 737-800 simulators already in operation at Ryanair's training facility in East Midlands, UK, by autumn 2007.

Ryanair has also recently renewed a pilot provisioning agreement with CAE. CAE’s training center in Amsterdam, Netherlands, will recruit and train more than 100 Boeing 737 type-rated pilots for the airline in 2006.

Since 2001, CAE says it has recruited and provided type-rating training to over 350 pilots who were subsequently hired by Ryanair.

"We are pleased to be working with CAE once again," Howard Millar, Ryanair Chief Financial Officer, says. "The quality and reliability of CAE’s integrated training solutions are unparalleled in the industry.”

“CAE is seeing robust demand for its integrated training solutions, including the recruitment and training of pilots," Jeff Roberts, CAE Group President, Civil Training & Services and Innovation, says. "This year alone, CAE will type-rate over 500 pilots for commercial airlines through its network of more than 20 training centers around the world.”

Ryanair was Europe’s original low fares airline and is still Europe’s largest low fares carrier, CAE says. In the current year Ryanair will carry over 40 million passengers on 333 low fare routes across 23 European countries.