ALTA Prepares for 11th Edition of Summit & Welcomes ProSim as Affiliate

After a two-year break due to the pandemic, the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) is hosting its 11th edition of the ALTA Pan American Aviation Safety Summit, a meeting of experts from airlines, suppliers, organizations, civil aviation directorates, flight schools and airports. In addition, the association has welcomed ProSim Training Solutions as its new affiliate member.

This summit will take place from 6-8 June in São Paulo, Brazil, with an academic agenda designed to address the most pressing challenges in the current context. The meeting includes the annual face-to-face meeting of the ALTA Operational Safety Committee with the participation of 28 airlines, the presentation of 37 speakers with vast experience and recognized trajectory, as well as the participation of the Acting Administrator of the FAA, Billy Nolen, and special messages Juan Carlos Salazar, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Ambassador CB "Sully" Sullenberger, US representative at ICAO, who is recognized worldwide for the emergency landing on the city's frigid Hudson River of New York, during the event known as the "Miracle on the Hudson",

The debate will focus on the constant strengthening of the safety culture, learning from data, mental and emotional health of pilots in the post-pandemic period, as well as accident investigation, safety performance in the region, cybersecurity, technologies to improve safety and air traffic management, among other important issues concerning safety within air operations.

“Over decades, the aviation industry has developed a strong track record of passenger and crew safety, resiliency, and safety practices that make aviation the safest mode of transportation today, only safer than air travel. riding an elevator,” highlights José Ricardo Botelho, Executive Director and CEO of ALTA. “The pandemic brought new security challenges, especially in terms of training, restarting operations and regulations, among others, but the so-called “Covid agility” also allowed us to take advantage of existing resources to serve them quickly. The growth of the industry in the region that we are about to experience will bring its challenges, but we have professionals, technologies and ideas ready to meet them.

This is the time to examine the pace of change and prepare for the future challenges that the aviation industry in Latin America and the Caribbean will face, explains Botelho.

The addition of ProSim as its new affiliate memberwill further help meet the growing demand for pilots in the region.

“Published Boeing projections in 2021 indicate the need for 612,000 new pilots over the next 20 years,” says José Ricardo Botelho, Executive Director and CEO of ALTA. “The demand for more and more highly trained professionals remains strong despite the profound impacts of the pandemic. Our region is no exception, which is why at ALTA we insist on undertaking education and professionalization initiatives for our sector in Latin America and the Caribbean. This strategic alliance with ProSim Training Solutions will give us a wide horizon of possibilities to help our region remain competitive for people who want to become a pilot, as well as for companies that need to comply with regulations to operate in the safest way. I am convinced that the entry of ProSim Training Solutions to ALTA and the exchange of best practices, know-how and networking will have a direct and positive impact on the development of aviation in our region.”

Hanne Koole, CEO of ProSim Training Solutions comments: “We look forward to joining the ALTA network and contributing to the development of new training paradigms for the region. We welcome the common challenge of ensuring a continuous supply of well-trained pilots to keep up with the rapidly growing demand from airlines. With a local presence of our Spanish-speaking ProSim team in Costa Rica, we provide effective communication and in-depth knowledge of local legislation and hands-on training.”