Jeddah, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA: flyadeal, Saudia Group’s fast-growing low-cost carrier, has achieved a significant milestone in its continued investment in people, training excellence, and the development of world-class instructor pilots following the successful delivery of the ground phase of the Airbus Pilot Instructor Course (APIC).

The APIC-Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) programme, delivered in collaboration with Airbus, is Airbus’ official development pathway for instructor pilots, designed not to teach flying skills, but to elevate the effectiveness of flight instruction itself.

This reflects flyadeal’s ongoing efforts to align its training ecosystem with globally recognised aviation standards and reinforce its position as a forward-looking, efficiency-driven airline within the Kingdom’s rapidly evolving aviation sector.

The CBTA framework introduces modern, structured approaches to coaching, teaching, and assessment, focusing on the knowledge, skills, and attitude required for safe and consistent flight operations.

Unlike traditional assessment models, CBTA enables instructor pilots to move beyond pass-or-fail evaluation and instead identify the root causes of performance gaps, ensuring more precise, data-driven, and effective training interventions.

“At flyadeal, investing in our people is fundamental to maintaining the highest standards of safety and operational excellence. The Airbus Pilot Instructor Course represents an important step in strengthening the capabilities of our instructor pilots by equipping them with globally recognised teaching and assessment methodologies. As our airline continues to grow, building strong in-house expertise is essential to ensuring we deliver consistent, high-quality pilot training while supporting the long-term development of our operations. This programme reflects our commitment to continuous learning and developing the next generation of aviation professionals within the Kingdom”.

Capt. Naif Almatrafi, Director of Flight Operations, flyadeal

The APIC-CBTA programme is being delivered across two key training locations, demonstrating effective collaboration within Saudi Arabia's aviation training ecosystem. The ground training phase is taking place at flyadeal Headquarters in Jeddah from 5 to 9 July 2026, while the simulator phase will be conducted at the Prince Sultan Aviation Academy. Delivering the programme across both locations highlights the effective utilisation of flyadeal's own facilities alongside the wider Saudia Group training network. This reinforces the airline's commitment to maximising national training resources, while supporting its continued growth and long-term capability development.

As the aviation industry continues to evolve, flyadeal remains focused on strengthening its training foundations and ensuring its instructor pilots are equipped with the latest methodologies used by leading global carriers.

About flyadeal

On 23 September 2017, National Day of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, flyadeal began operations with its historic maiden flight from Jeddah to Riyadh. A pioneer and innovator, flyadeal was the first regional low-cost airline to be launched only across digital distribution channels. Being the sister airline of full-service national carrier Saudia — both under the umbrella ownership of Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation (Saudia Group) — flyadeal was created for the price-conscious and tech-savvy consumer in mind in a country where 80 per cent of the Saudi population is aged less than 40 years and has at least two mobile phones.

flyadeal aims to stimulate travel, tourism and trade with its affordable, value for money everyday fares catering to leisure, religious, family and business travellers. Simplicity is key with an all-Economy Class cabin across flyadeal’s narrowbody fleet. As the Kingdom undergoes dramatic transformation through its Vision 2030 economic diversification drive, aviation and tourism are among the many sectors earmarked for dynamic growth. flyadeal is the fastest growing airline in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Middle East, recognised for excellence in on-time performance that is consistently above the global industry average.

Since its inaugural flight in 2017, flyadeal has carried over 45 million passengers. And in a significant 2025 milestone, flyadeal flew more than 10 million passengers for the first time in a calendar year. In May 2024, flyadeal placed its biggest ever aircraft order – 51 narrowbody jets comprising 12 A320neos and 39 larger A321neos – with a delivery schedule beginning in 2027. In addition, flyadeal will venture into the long-haul market with its own dedicated widebody aircraft as the first of 10 Airbus A330neos ordered by Saudia Group in April 2025 is due to be delivered next year. flyadeal’s robust expansion drive makes the rapidly growing airline one of the country’s most desirable companies to work for.

flyadeal Media Contact
Ahad Afandi
Corporate Communications Department, flyadeal
Email: ahad.afandi@flyadeal.com
www.flyadeal.com