The first regional pilot training event in Latin America and the Caribbean lands in Panama

Panama City, September 4, 2023 – The first edition of ALTA Pilot Training Connect, scheduled for September 5 and 6, 2023, lands in Panama City setting an important milestone. It is the first regional conference that will bring together experts in pilot training in Latin America and the Caribbean. An event that has confirmed its relevance with sold-out tickets and an academic agenda that promises to address the most pressing challenges faced by airlines in a fundamental pillar of air operations: training.

The event is held in support of Copa Airlines, as host airline, with the contribution of Aviatdo Consulting Group and The Halldale Group and also supported by sponsors: CAE, AIMS, AMST, Avsoft, L3 Harris and Paramount Aviation Services.

The main educational and technological service providers will be present in Panama, as well as civil aviation authorities, educational institutions and the responsible for the training areas of the airlines operating in the region.

The first day of the conference will provide the venue for the ALTA Training Committee first in-person meeting with over 20 airlines. Participants may take a special tour of Copa Airlines' state-of-the-art Pilot Training facility and share best practices.

"Pilots make up part of the aviation operation's backbone. They are extremely resilient professionals who went through many uncertain times during the pandemic. When air operations resumed, they were quickly ready to return to providing an essential service to the population and as an industry, our commitment to them is to always provide the right support, the best technologies and the most current trends for their ongoing training, to strengthen their professional skills. We have a lot of news to share at this conference and we are really looking forward to the next few days", says Jose Ricardo Botelho, ALTA's Executive Director & CEO.

The second day will feature a full day of discussion panels, keynotes and networking opportunities. Attendees will have the invaluable opportunity to interact and make key connections. The agenda will be a watershed in the landscape of pilot training and the aviation industry in the region, with topics including:

• The status of pilot training in Latin America and the Caribbean;
• Competency-based training and implementation of Evidence-based training (EBT) and Competency-based training and assessment (CBTA).
• Pilot wellbeing and its relationship with competency-based training;
• Harmonization of flight training regulations.
• Pilot Training Center business models
• Ab initio training (zero flight time)
• Aircrew Training Policy Group (ATPG) and the benefit for airlines in the region.

It will also include collaborative work in round table discussions on the topics discussed in the panels, in order to exchange ideas, propose joint solutions and define the committee's work agenda for the rest of the year.

Ana Persiani, ALTA's Training Director, comments: "having these sessions to deepen the discussion and get feedback from all the key stakeholders in the process of training pilots is essential. From ALTA we are honored to provide this space and we appreciate the confidence of who are part of this first edition. The work to be carried out in these next two days will allow us to prioritize our efforts in the topics of relevance for our region and continue working with industry and authorities in the development of the required competencies in the crews and have the necessary talent to carry out our flight operations in a safe and efficient manner."