Press Release
August 20, 2020
After having trained the crew of the French Presidential aircraft, Airways Aviation Academy was chosen to carry out the Recurrent Training of all the new aircraft of the Air Refuelling and Strategic Transport Squadron, the Airbus A330 MRTT “Phénix”, based in Istres, France.
Commissioned in 2018, the Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) “Phénix” performs various missions according to the French State needs:
– Medical Transport (during the Covid-19 crisis, for the medical transport of patients to adapted hospital structures or more recently to provide emergency medical assistance to Lebanon following the double explosion in Beirut)
– Logistics missions
– In-flight refuelling (Lately for ferrying “Rafale” type aircraft to India)
– Nuclear deterrence
– Assistance to humanitarian operations
– Relay of strategic communication and intelligence
The French Air Force currently has 3 A330 MRTT “Phénix” aircraft and will see its fleet increase to 12 aircraft by 2023 and up to 15 later on.
The first two training sessions took place this summer with the cabin crew members: part in the AAA infrastructure at Montpellier-Méditerranée airport (France) for evacuation training, equipment of the breathing smoke hood and the progress in an air-plane cabin filled with smoke, extinguishing real fires, upgrading first aid skills on board as well as intensive training in emergency procedures in a simulator.
The second part of the training, more specific, was done onboard one of the A330 MRTTs made available to AAA-ESMA at the Air Base 125 in Istres, France.
These very first internships mark the starting point of a strong collaboration between AAA, the French Air Forces and Space Command for the next four years with a sharp increase in the number of annual training due to the arrival of the new aircraft and entry into the training course from 2021 for pilots, and in-flight refuelling operators who will join the cabin crew members.
For aspiring cabin crew members who would like to pursue a career in the French Air Forces and Space Command fleet, the need for aircrew will be very important starting next year. Holding the french Cabin Crew Certificate (CCA) is a major asset for recruitment.
The team is waiting for you!
Registration and information by email at ccto@airwaysaviation.com
on the website www.esma.fr
or by phone at +33 (0)4 67 13 75 00
