Jet2.com has opened a multi-million-pound training centre for air and ground crew near Manchester airport.
The £8.5 million new facility at Cheadle in Stockport, complements the leisure airline’s first training centre near Bradford, which opened in 2014.
The purpose-built new unit enables the carrier to underpin its growth ambitions by training thousands of staff every year, creating a dozen full-time positions for local people.
It will provide a bespoke centre of excellence for training new and current pilots, engineers, cabin crew and staff in ground operations.
The three-storey facility will house flight simulators, cabin crew trainer units, engineering training devices to enact real-life scenarios, high-tech computer-based training rooms, fully equipped classrooms and briefing rooms.
Jet2 says the training centre will “play a critical role” in ensuring that the carrier has sufficient numbers of highly-trained personnel to support the growth plan.
The opening follows sister tour operation Jet2holidays surpassing Tui as the UK’s largest Atol holder and comes as parent company Jet2 prepares for the introduction of a fleet of new generation Airbus A320/A321neo aircraft.
The group has 98 firm orders with Airbus, which could eventually extend up to 146 aircraft.
Jet2.com and Jet2holidays chief executive Steve Heapy said: “Today’s exciting announcement is the latest stage on our growth journey and is another demonstration of our commitment to investing in our successful business.
“This fantastic new facility complements our existing training centre and enables us to train and develop our award-winning teams as we grow, so that our flight deck, cabin crew, ground operations and engineering teams can continue to provide the first-class experience that our customers have come to know and love when they travel with Jet2.com and Jet2holidays.”
