ALP FUELS UNI PILOT DREAM
Simulator part of $10m pledge to CQU aviation hub
A TOTAL of 150 aviation students a year would be the benficiaries of a $10 million ALP funding pledge towards the final stage of CQ-University’s aviation hub.
Deputy Labor Leader Tanya Plibersek (right) is expected to reveal the commitment in Cairns today.
The money would support a state-of-the-art flight simulator, aviation sensors, tracking equipment and training facilities. The hub aims to address a projected shortage in commercial pilots.
A FLIGHT simulator will form part of a $10 million Labor commitment to help Cairns take off as a world-renowned destination for training pilots.
Deputy Labor Leader Tanya Plibersek, who is expected to be in Cairns today, will be announcing the funding pledge to help deliver the final stage of CQUniversity’s AsiaPacific Aviation Hub.
The funding, also backed by Labor’s infrastructure, transport, cities and regional develA opment spokesman Anthony Albanese, will go towards a state-of-the-art flight simulator, aviation sensors and tracking equipment, as well as new aircraft hangars and training facilities at Cairns Airport.
An aerospace lab would also be established to lead research into pilot fatigue and air traffic control.
The university has already invested $4.8 million to establish the first stage of its aviation hub, which will be welcoming its first students at the airport facility this week.
“Our investment will mean Cairns can train up to 150 aviation students a year,” Ms Plibersek said. “Who wouldn’t want to learn to fly in paradise?”
The centre is a key component of CQUniversity’s $54.7 million Cairns Community Impact Plan, which is designed to stimulate new industries in the Far North.
A recent Boeing study has shown the worldwide airline industry will need 600,000 pilots during the next 20 years.
CQUniversity vice-chancellor Nick Klomp said Cairns had the potential to become a leader for world-class aviation training in the Asia Pacific region.
“The city is a strategic gateway to the Asia Pacific and already plays a key role in airborne freight and passenger traffic with direct links to China, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and New Zealand,” he said.
“CQUniversity is committed to being the first university to offer tertiary level aviation qualifications in Cairns and to provide a clear pathway for students to earn a commercial pilot’s licence.”