Diamond 40NG planes
In a significant development poised to reshape the aviation training landscape, Asia Aeronautical Training Academy (AATA), a leading flying academy owned by ATAS Aeronautik Sdn (ATAS), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Asian Aerospace Services Ltd (AAS), an authorised Diamond Aircraft Distributor for Malaysia on 1st September 2023.
The MoU materialises long-term cooperation with delivering ten units of Diamond 40NG and two units of Diamond 42 over the coming 48 months.
The MoU was signed by Captain Kenneth Yap, ATAS Group Chief Executive Officer and Mr Hubert Trunzer, AAS Managing Director. The signing ceremony in the AATA Campus marks a significant step forward in enhancing AATA training capabilities and underscores both entities’ commitment to advancing aviation education.
Under this MoU, AAS will provide a fleet of state-of-the-art training aircraft specifically tailored to meet the evolving needs of modern aviation education while promoting initiatives on reducing carbon emissions and optimising operational costs.
“AATA is ready to invest RM 38.5 million to acquire the new generation Austro AE 300 engine aircraft that are much superior in fuel efficiency compared with the previous Lycoming IO-360, reducing CO2 emissions. With the ten purchased Diamond 40NG, for example, AATA can save 331 tonnes on fuel usage, RM 6.13 million on fuel costs and 573 tons on CO2 emission annually. The reduction in emissions means that we also help to promote sustainable aviation.” says Captain Kenneth.
AATA’s decision to commit to long-term cooperation with AAS is firmly based on the substantial new pilot demands due to the increase in world air traffic growth and new aircraft orders, as reported by Boeing, Airbus, and the International Air Transport Association. The decision is also supported by the promising local market pilot demand based on the recent new aircraft orders made by the local airlines.
The acquisition of the aircraft positioned AATA to assist the world’s growth and cater for the ever-increasing demand for pilots. With the above development, AATA is on track in its aspiration to become the best in Asia, capable of providing the best pilot training solutions to all the airlines using advanced technology fleets.
As the aviation industry continues to evolve, partnerships through the MoU signing are critical in ensuring that training institutions remain at the forefront of innovation.
