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Province helps takeoff of Fredericton flight college. Training Moncton Flight College centre gets $1M to prepare for Chinese students

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Jul 19th, 2007
Province helps takeoff of Fredericton flight college. Training Moncton Flight College centre gets $1M to prepare for Chinese students

QUENTIN CASEY
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL

Published Thursday July 19th, 2007
Appeared on page b1

FREDERICTON’s booming economy is producing a strong echo in New Brunswick ’s aviation sector - an echo local operators say will only grow in intensity.

On Wednesday, the provincial government announced a $1-million repayable loan to help CANLink Aviation set up a new flight training centre in Fredericton .

The result will be 70 jobs as local operators continue to capitalize on a growing need to train foreign pilots, most notably from .

The Moncton Flight College already instructs Chinese recruits, thanks in part to CANLink’s skill in tapping the emerging economy’s lack of training opportunities.

But officials at CANLink quickly noticed room for expansion.They will now run the Fredericton centre, called MFC Fredericton and located at the city’s airport, using the Flight College ’s programming and oversight.

Mike Tilley , president of CANLink Aviation, hopes to have 60 full-time students enrolled by end of the year and aims for future enrollment to hit 200 students per year.

"The opportunity is truly out there in global markets,"he said, standing inside the school’s newly renovated hangar.

"We know the potential and demand is there." The amount of foreign contracts secured by the Fredericton campus means that within just six months it has become one of the largest flight training centres in Canada.

In fact, current estimates predict the school will reach its maximum capacity within 18 months. That means further expansion to other areas of the province appears likely.Mike Doiron, chief executive officer and principal of the college, envisions much more to come.

He says two or three years from now the school could be producing up to 700 Chinese pilots at three campuses.

"That would be the ideal scenario for us," he said, noting that Miramichi and infrastructure the at the former CFB Chatham airbase would provide an ideal third location.

Such optimism, Doiron said, is based on a recent prediction that the aviation industry will double by 2025.

"That means a lot of pilot training, much more than we shall ever be able to accommodate," Doiron said. "The future looks very,very good." Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne agrees.

"This is just the beginning," he said, noting more announcements will likely come thanks to the province’s recent attendance at a large aerospace and defense show in Paris .

"There was a buzz around New Brunswick as a great place to do business.As a result we had many companies make contacts. This is one project that has come to fruition. I believe that we will see many more projects (emerge).

"I think the potential is endless." The provincial loan will help the school fund new aircraft, a student residence and other start-up costs.

Its focus will be solely on foreign students, who pay around $80,000 for the year-long course.