Work begins on expansion of Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre training centre

The new 3,300 square-foot facility will feature three new flight simulators that will train pilots to fly Boeing 737, De Havilland Q-400, and Airbus 320 aircrafts.

There will be new flight simulators installed to help train the next generation of pilots in Waterloo, Ont., and Wellington.

It will see a new cutting-edge Flight SIM Centre and Innovation Hub be built next to Hangar 7.

It will have three state-of-the-art flight simulators that will be dedicated to training pilots to fly Boeing 737, De Havilland Q-400, and Airbus 320 aircraft.

“This will help (students) with the transition into an airline environment,” said Bob Connors, general manager of the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre.

“More and more of our students are going into airline jobs right out of school or shortly after school.”

Kitchener-Conestoga MP Tim Louis, Region of Waterloo Chair Karen Redman, and Suzanne Cairns of the University of Waterloo and founding director of Waterloo Institute of Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA) were on hand for the groundbreaking.

Louis said he and Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario Filomena Tassi announced $9.2 million towards the expansion of WISA.

“With this support, WISA is expanding its ability to support the Southern Ontario aerospace sector by mobilizing research in aviation and aerospace sustainability, foster the development of green technology, provide hands-on sustainable aviation training, and establish an innovation training hub,” said Louis.