dailynewsnblog
The aviation industry has changed significantly since its early years. Aircraft and engines have become more capable, cockpit technology has advanced, and new systems have transformed the way airlines operate. Pilot training has also evolved alongside these developments. In the early days of aviation, training was inconsistent across the industry, and many commercial pilots came from military backgrounds.
As commercial aviation expanded after World War II, airline training began to develop alongside the industry. The introduction of commercial jets in the 1950s brought further changes, and as aircraft became more capable, pilot training continued to evolve. Today, pilots spend significant training time using advanced simulators and other technology, but the industry is now looking at what those hours actually demonstrate.
Simply reaching a required number of flight hours does not necessarily show whether a pilot has developed the skills needed to handle a particular situation. Like the rest of the industry, Airbus , is now putting more focus on this area through Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA).
Pilot Training Is Moving Beyond Flight Hours
For decades, aviation training was built around a fairly simple idea: teach pilots the required procedures, make sure they can perform them correctly, and assess whether they meet the required standard. If a pilot could complete the required maneuvers and pass the relevant checks, they were considered to have met the training standard. With this approach, pilots learned to handle situations such as crosswind landings, engine failures during take-off, and various onboard emergencies. However, technical proficiency does not cover every factor that can affect how a pilot performs in an operational environment.
In addition, aircraft are becoming increasingly sophisticated, more automated, and more capable. Automation is reducing the amount of routine manual work pilots have to perform. However, pilots still need to understand what is happening, recognize when something is changing, and make the right decision. In fact, safety data increasingly shows that accidents can involve human error alongside technical issues. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), human error contributes to around 25–40% of accidents, includingmiscommunication, poor workload management, and a lack of situational awareness.
These factors become especially important when pilots must deal with unexpected or rapidly changing circumstances. That has changed the question facing the industry. It is no longer enough to teach pilots how to perform individual tasks; training also needs to prepare them to manage complexity, uncertainty, and situations that may not follow a predefined sequence. Airbus has recognized this and is adapting its pilot training approach by incorporating CBTA for type rating initial training and command courses.
Airbus Has Rebuilt Its Pilot Training Around Nine Competencies
Earlier this year, the European planemaker completed the revision of its entire pilot curriculum. It updated all type rating courses to the latest International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) CBTA standards. The updated model defines pilot training around nine core competencies, covering both technical skills and non-technical competencies such as leadership, teamwork, communication, and workload management.
Airbus explained the thinking behind this approach in one of its training documents.
“We had to understand the relationship between this finite number of competencies and the capability to manage an infinite number of operational situations. Doing so, our efforts were directed towards understanding the underlying conditions for effective performance, rather than on the outcome of events and maneuvers as was traditionally the case. Instructional technique needed to evolve to the person and not to the event.”
Technical Competencies | Non-technical Competencies |
|---|---|
|
|
Every Airbus pilot training course, from ab initio (entry-level) training to type rating and command courses, now includes CBTA. With this shift, the manufacturer aims to ensure that its pilots are more than “manoeuvre experts” and are instead “practical real-time problem-solvers.”
Airbus Is Using Virtual Training To Reduce Basic Simulator Work
Furthermore, to support the change, Airbus has also introduced the Virtual Procedure Trainer (VPT). It is a cloud-based tool that lets pilots practice cockpit procedures before moving into a Full Flight Simulator (FFS). Pilots can use it on a normal screen or with 3D goggles to become familiar with the cockpit and practice normal procedures before starting their simulator sessions. In the past, pilots used “paper boards” showing a 2D cockpit layout to learn where different buttons and switches were located. The VPT gives them a chance to practice those procedures in a virtual cockpit first.
This leaves more time in the simulator for other parts of the training, including situations that require pilots to make decisions, manage their workload, and work with other crew members.
“Through the tool, pilot trainees receive a good view of the procedures in a well simulated cockpit, so that when they enter the full flight simulator, they know the related ‘flow patterns’ already,” Sylvain Vacher, Airbus’ Training Services Marketing Director, explained. “They don’t lose time on working on them inside the full flight simulator, and they know they have another tool dedicated to that to be better prepared before entering the FFS.”
In addition, as airlines increasingly move towards Evidence-Based Training (EBT) and CBTA, they need to adapt their training programs and instructor practices. Therefore, Airbus has introduced Developer Upskilling and Consulting services to help them develop CBTA-based training and standardize how instructors assess pilot competencies.
CBTA Has Been Used In Aviation For More Than A Decade
Indeed, the aviation industry is increasingly adopting CBTA, but the concept is not new. Its roots go back several decades. In the 1970s, NASA studied why accidents involving technically qualified flight crews still occurred. At the time, aviation safety investigations often focused on mechanical, environmental, and other technical causes. When those factors could not explain an accident, investigators often attributed the cause to pilot error, without necessarily explaining why the error occurred.
As research continued, it became clear that some serious incidents involved problems with communication, teamwork, leadership, and decision-making rather than a lack of basic flying skills. The 1977 Tenerife airport disaster brought further attention to these issues. The accident showed how communication problems, assumptions about runway clearance, and ineffective crew coordination could contribute to a catastrophic outcome, even with experienced flight crews.
It helped develop Crew Resource Management (CRM), which expanded pilot training beyond aircraft handling by adding non-technical skills. Later, in the 1990s, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) introduced the Advanced Qualification Program (AQP). This allowed airlines to develop training around operational performance and competency development. ICAO later standardized these ideas.
In 2013, it formally introduced its CBTA framework. Notably, Airbus was an early adopter. The planemaker incorporated CBTA into its A350 Type Rating in 2014, followed by the A320 Family and A330 Type Ratings in 2017 and the A220 in 2020. It later extended CBTA to its ab initio training in 2019, instructor training in 2021, and Command and Recurrent Training, including EBT, in 2022.
CBTA Could Help Airlines Train More Pilots More Efficiently
Indeed, since ICAO endorsed EBT in 2013, CBTA has seen wider adoption worldwide. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), for instance, incorporated EBT principles in 2016, while the European Commission adopted baseline EBT requirements in 2020. EASA further developed its approach with CBTA rulemaking in 2022. CBTA has also been adopted in other regions, including Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
Furthermore, global air travel demand is growing, and airlines are increasingly expanding their fleets to meet it. This will also increase the need for pilots. Boeing’s latest Pilot and Technician Outlook estimates that 674,000 new pilots will be needed over the next 20 years. As the demand for pilots grows worldwide, efficient and effective training methods are becoming increasingly important.
CBTA has emerged as one approach that can help airlines train and progress pilots more efficiently. AvBuyer, quoting Diako Rad, Director of Flight Operations at KlasJet, reported that in CBTA, “instead of adding default hours, specific behaviors that limit performance are targeted, typically resulting in around 10-20% improvement in training efficiency.”
The Next Stage Of Aviation Training
To conclude, aviation training has evolved considerably over the years. As aircraft have become more sophisticated, training has moved away from simply completing a set of tasks and passing the required checks. There is now more focus on the skills pilots need when dealing with situations that do not follow a predefined sequence. The industry, including Airbus, has recognized this change and is increasingly adopting CBTA.
Tools such as virtual reality and augmented reality are also being used to make the process more efficient. The next development could come from artificial intelligence (AI). As digitalization becomes more common across the industry, AI could become another tool for making training more efficient.
It could be used across pilot, cabin crew, and maintenance training for adaptive simulations, more complex scenarios, automated performance feedback, and predictive analytics that can identify areas where further training may be needed.
