The FlightSafety International Dash 8-400 simulator housed at Kenya Airways Pride Center is operational, with regional low-cost airline, Jambojet as the anchor user.
The simulator, which is the third in Africa will support high-quality pilot and maintenance crew training. Before the simulator was brought into the country, Jambojet used to fly their pilots to Canada for the simulation exercise which is a requirement after every six months. The pilots would normally take about a week to complete the training which had an effect of reducing productivity. It was also an expensive affair for the airline as the pilots need four sessions with each session being $400. The beauty is that other airlines in the region stand to benefit from having the simulator here as they will also be able to utilise it for their training.
The simulator is a culmination of a 2019 tripartite agreement between Jambojet, Kenya Airways, and FlightSafety International (FSI).
According to the Jambojet Acting Managing Director, Karanja Ndegwa, having the simulator closer to operations will improve efficiencies and reduce Jambojet’s operating costs by at least 10%. He added that, “Operational excellence is one of our key pillars at Jambojet. Having the simulator here ensures our pilots do not have to travel outside the continent for training every six months, therefore maintaining our reliability, efficiency and safety standards.”
Brad Thress, President & CEO of Flight Safety International had this to say, “FlightSafety is pleased to be working with Kenya Airways and Jambojet to put in service additional flight simulators for the De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 aircraft. Having local access to the simulators will help to increase proficiency by enabling pilots to train more often, reduce overall training costs, and ensure the airlines have the most prepared and proficient aviators.”
The simulator which includes instructor-led courses has been qualified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the civil aviation authorities in Kenya.
Since its inception in 2014, Jambojet, which is IOSA certified (IATA Operational Safety Audit registration), has achieved undeniable business growth with a fleet of 5 brand new De Havilland Dash 8-400 and flown over 3.8 million passengers across all its destinations.
Jambojet currently flies to six local destinations namely Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, Malindi, and Ukunda (Diani) from its hub in Nairobi. The airline is also a two-time winner for De Havilland Canada Reliability Award for the Dash 8-400 fleet in Africa and Middle East.