Emirates is preparing to introduce the Airbus A350 into its fleet later this year. As part of seamlessly welcoming this new aircraft type, the airline has invested heavily in crew training.

Many Millions

Emirates has reportedly invested around $48 million in advanced equipment and systems dedicated to training crews on the A350. 

Three full-motion simulators have been ordered that replicate the Airbus A350 flight deck. These simulators use visual and audio systems to make the training simulations as realistic as possible. 

The entire setup is such that when pilots sit inside it, it is as if they are sitting in the actual cockpit, as all of the buttons and systems are replicated from the real thing. When the actual "flying" takes place, the cutouts representing the cockpit windows are fitted with high-quality screens that display a flight simulator program. This allows the pilots to treat these training sessions like proper flights fully.

Not only has Emirates invested in A350 flight simulators but also cabin mockups. When it comes to the cabin crew, they must be familiar with the A350's doors and various cabin systems.

As part of the $48 million investment, Emirates also ordered a fixed base training device, a cabin emergency evacuation trainer, and a door trainer. Despite Emirates being the world's largest Airbus A380 operator, that aircraft undoubtedly has some differences from the A350, hence the need for specific training systems.

So far, Emirates has trained about 30 pilots and 820 crew members on the A350. The airline anticipates that more than 50 pilots will have completed their training by the end of November.

Captain Bader Al Marzooqi, Emirates' Senior Vice President of Flight Training, commented on the simulators saying that:

"With our investments in the new simulators and systems, our pilots and cabin crew are equipped, trained, and supremely confident to manage any operational challenge safely and competently."

Emirates' A350

65 Airbus A350-900s are on order with ten expected to be in the fleet by March 2025. The first aircraft, registered A6-EXA, has been fully assembled and painted and is awaiting delivery.

Emirates will launch the A350 into revenue service on November 4th with service from Dubai (DXB) to Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI). This is slightly later than the initial inaugural flight that had been planned for late September.

Within the first few months of operation, Emirates will gradually begin deploying the A350 to more routes across Europe and Asia. These cities are:

• Bahrain (BAH)
• Kuwait City (KWI)
• Muscat, Oman (MCT)
• Ahmedabad, India (AMD)
• Mumbai, India (BOM)
• Colombo, Sri Lanka (CMB)
• Bologna, Italy (BLQ)
• Lyon, France (LYS)

Emirates' A350-900s will come in a three-class configuration with 32 new Business Class seats, 21 Premium Economy seats, and 259 Economy Class seats.