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.
