VivaAerobus, the low cost carrier serving Mexico, has chosen “Training By Airbus” to provide simulator training and courses for pilots, maintenance personnel, flight operations engineers and cabin crews in Miami and Monterrey, Mexico. The 10-year agreement includes more than 25,000 flight training hours for approximately 750 pilots. VivaAerobus, which is in the process of converting to an all-Airbus operator, has ordered a total of 52 A320 Family aircraft.

Full-flight training for VivaAerobus pilots has been ongoing at the Airbus Training Center in Miami, and by early 2016 VivaAerobus will start training at a new satellite training operation in Monterrey’s North International Airport located on the campus of the University of Nuevo León.

This will be the second Airbus Training Center in Mexico housing an Airbus A320 simulator. In June, Airbus announced that it would open a training center in Mexico City by 2015.

“As a low cost carrier, getting the best quality training for our staff is important to maintaining world class safety standards,” said Juan Carlos Zuazua, CEO of VivaAerobus. “Having Airbus train our crews locally in Monterrey supports our ability to keep costs down and continue to deliver the lowest possible fares for our customers.”

“The State of Nuevo León is proud that Airbus has chosen Monterrey as a location for their next training center,” said Dr. Jesús Ancer Rodríguez, Chancellor of the University of Nuevo León.  “Airbus and its customers will surely benefit from Monterrey’s highly qualified aviation industry, and the University of Nuevo León is the perfect location to foster such skilled professionals.”

“The Airbus Training Center in Monterrey will build on Miami’s success by bringing our state-of-the-art training services and experienced instructors directly to VivaAerobus, consequently supporting their growth by increasing the productivity of their pilots, engineers, maintenance and cabin crews,” said Rafael Alonso, President of Airbus Latin America and the Caribbean. “Airbus is also very proud to bring high-skilled jobs and economic investment to Monterrey, and is grateful to the Economic Development Office of Nuevo León for their role in making today’s announcement a reality.”

“Training By Airbus” ensures a smooth aircraft entry-into-service and provides customers with support and services throughout the operational life of their Airbus fleet. It also provides courses locally to its customers thanks to mobile solutions and e-learning features.

Built in 1999, the Airbus Training Center in Miami, which complements centers in Toulouse, Beijing, Hamburg and Bangalore, provides training for Airbus customers’ flight and cabin crew, as well as maintenance personnel. Approximately 2,000 trainees take Airbus courses annually at the Miami center under the direction of 70 Airbus employees. Most of the facility’s trainees come from Airbus airline operators in the US, Canada and Latin America.