While its fleet will increase from 61 to 71 aircraft in the summer of 2023, the airline low cost Transavia France takes a new step, forming its 100th OCC pilots (Operator Conversion Course), mandatory qualification course to enter an airline.
These training courses are part of the growth trajectory of the group’s subsidiary specializing in low-cost flights Air France-KLMwhich at the end of the year will welcome its premier Airbus A320neo. In addition to flight safety, future Transavia pilots “are made aware of environmental issues, in particular through eco-piloting and fuel allowance”. With more than 1,500 captains and co-pilots trained in 15 years, Transavia France stresses that it “accompanies its pilots in their professional career through, in particular, aircraft familiarization courses and training in the company’s flight procedures”. It has just celebrated its 100th pilot OCC.
The company has been able to rely on its partner Air France to achieve, since 2015, more than 1,200 qualifications on Boeing 737-800 ; in 2022, almost 300 pilots (captains and co-pilots) joined Transavia France. To achieve this, the company “has been able to train instructors (more than 100 today) and acquire new flight simulators”, underlines its press release. ” We pay particular attention to the quality of our training, which guarantees our flight safety and is essential to the development of Transavia France. This milestone of the hundredth OCC takes us back several years with a sense of pride in the progress made. This demonstrates the commitment we have to our trainees, together with the work of the training, planning teams and our instructors. “said Franck Roch, Director of Pilot Training at Transavia France
Ces training courses last 2 to 4 months and are sized to accommodate all types of candidates (ranging from profiles with no experience to the most experienced pilots). They consist of a theoretical part, intended for learning regarding the company’s environment, and a supervised practical part on a simulator and in flight. Flight safety is at the heart of these training courses. Highly qualified personnel supervise the pilots’ flights, in order to verify the proper implementation of the training courses followed. Subsequently, a cycle of maintenance of skills is obligatory. The pilots must therefore undergo training and evaluations, at the rate of 3 times a year.
During their journey, future Transavia pilots are informed of the engagements environmental the company. In particular, they are made aware of fuel optimization in order to reduce kerosene consumption while respecting flight safety. Transavia pilots also use digital eco-piloting programs that reduce CO2 emissions by 3 to 5% on each flight. These solutions provide real-time recommendations to pilots to reduce their fuel consumption, in particular through new flight techniques.
As part of the Franco-Dutch Group’s commitments, Transavia France will gradually renew its fleet, which will be made up ofAirbus A320neo family, a new generation aircraft emitting 15% less CO2 compared to its current aircraft. To prepare for the arrival of the first Airbus at the end of 2023, Transavia has invested in the purchase of a first A320 flight simulator. The first dedicated pilot courses will begin in September. The teams are already working with the Air France teams “to share their experience and best accommodate this new aircraft”.
Transavia operates nearly 200 airlines from France (Orly, Nantes, Lyon and Montpellier) and the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Eindhoven and Groningen) to France, Europe and the Mediterranean basin. In 2021, Transavia regained capacity close to the pre-Covid level with a load factor of 80%. With more than 2,300 employees in France, Transavia “puts the quality of its services, the proximity of its crews and innovation at the heart of its commitments”.