New A350 Training Hub Opens at Zurich Airport

Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT) is putting a full flight simulator (FFS) and the latest cabin training devices for the Airbus A350 into operation at Zurich Airport. The Lufthansa Group's own training organization is expanding its range of services and strengthening its pilot and crew training for SWISS, Edelweiss and other customers with the latest technology.

After months of planning, intensive testing and close cooperation with the manufacturers, these training devices are now ready for training operations. With this step, LAT is expanding its modern training portfolio for its customers, including the latest technologies, such as the use of virtual reality in cabin training. With the new training infrastructure in the immediate vicinity of Zurich-Kloten Airport, LAT aims to enable its Swiss customers to minimize their own travel expenses from the outset, saving costs and resources and at the same time making a contribution to sustainability.

SWISS and Edelweiss are setting a new milestone by introducing a total of 16 aircraft of the Airbus A350-900 twin-engine type from 2025. In the long term, these will replace the remaining four-engine Airbus A340-300 aircraft.

The Airbus A350 FFS was specially developed to meet the requirements of modern flight training. The possibilities include Cross Crew Qualification (CCQ): Transition from other Airbus models to the Airbus A350; Common Type Rating (CTR): Retraining from the Airbus A330 to the Airbus A350; and Evidence-Based Training (EBT): Scenarios for safety-critical decision-making processes in the cockpit.

Planning for the new simulator began in mid-2023 in close collaboration between LAT, SWISS and Edelweiss. Following successful delivery in October 2024 and installation at Zurich Airport in Opfikon, the simulator and training devices are now ready for training operations.