Falcon Field, 23rd January 2008 - Sabena Airline Training Center, a world leading JAA & FAA Independent flight training organization based in Mesa Falcon Field, AZ, USA was granted the Eclipse EA500 Type Rating Training Approval by the FAA.

Sabena becomes the first approved training center worldwide able to offer Eclipse 500 Type Rating Courses, an achievement of which Kris Van den Bergh, Managing Director and Head of Training is extremely proud.  Sabena Airline Training Center acquired its first Eclipse 500 aircraft in August 2007. More aircraft will join the fleet over the course of 2008 as the number of delivered Eclipse aircraft increases and the owner pilots need training.

“We strongly believe in the development of the VLJ market in general and the Eclipse in particular and wanted therefore, to be the first approved independent training center for the EA500. Our focus will be to deliver high quality training with the highest safety standards, equivalent to airline training. Through our website, customers will be able to book their training slots on-line, which offers a flexible solution appropriate to the Eclipse customers’ needs” said Van den Bergh.

The approved course comes in 2 different variants, adapted to the prior experience and pilot profile of the candidates, and takes between 10 to 15 days to complete. The first customer training course is expected to begin early March 2008.

Besides Type Rating Training, Sabena Airline Training Center will introduce the Eclipse 500 as part of the ab-initio training package. Jet familiarization on an Eclipse 500 will provide a high added value to Sabena Airline
Training Center’s trainees before moving on to the airlines. Today, Sabena Airline Training Center trains more than 400 pilots per year in their facility in Mesa, Arizona for European and Indian Customers, accumulating nearly 75.000 flying hours.

About Sabena Airline Training Center & Sabena Flight Academy: Sabena Flight Academy (SFA) is one of Europe’s oldest and most respected Pilot Training Academies. After providing Sabena Airlines with world class pilots for more than 60 years SFA has become an independent training center operating on 4 continents and training more than 350 cadet pilots per year.

SFA is a JAA-approved Flight Training Organization (FTO) performing cadet training, advanced training, medical services, aviation consulting and high-tech simulation development. These services are customer oriented for airlines and self sponsored candidates who choose Sabena Flight Academy for its high quality, its excellent reputation and its long tradition in pilot training.

The European (Brussels based) Simulator center currently operates Airbus A320, A330, A340 and Boeing 737-200, Boeing 737CG & Boeing 737NG Full Flight Simulators for more than 60 airlines worldwide.

The US based Sabena Airline Training Center (SATC) in Arizona, is a 100% subsidiary of Sabena Flight Academy, which currently operates a fleet of over 40 state-of the-art aircraft and performs more than 150 flights a day.  Excellent weather conditions, a professional organization structured exactly like an airline, with top instructors, student administrators and our own in-house maintenance team which are just a few of SFA’s key features, enable our customers to receive the highest quality training in the most optimal conditions.