Features Airlines
Air Georgian opens airline development academy

Air Georgian today announced the launch of the Canadian Airline Professional Development Academy (CAPDA), which the company describes as a focal point of the significant investments it is making in aviation training, as well as research and development.

CAPDA’s growth, explains Air Georgian, will focus on competency- and evidence-based training, augmented and virtual reality, data analytics and content development for open-source learning. It will offer training, evaluation, analytics and development tools for aviation professionals and the industry.

In line with CAPDA, Air Georgian is also introducing an Emerging Leaders Program designed to provide business, economics and STEM graduates an opportunity to explore aviation management positions on a multi-discipline rotational basis.

“Air Georgian has always been an incubator for airline talent, having helped develop the careers of over 6000 pilots, hundreds of maintenance personnel, flight attendants, management personnel, dispatchers and other SOCC professionals over the past 25 years,” said Eric Edmondson, president and CEO, Air Georgian.

The company explains CAPDA will be managed as a standalone division, addressing what it describes as broader industry requirements beyond the needs of Air Georgian, while allowing the airline to focus on delivering best-in-class regional airline service.

Kristen Menecola is assuming executive responsibility for CAPDA and will be named vice president and managing director of CAPDA, while maintaining her current role as director of technology and communications at Air Georgian.

“We are ideally positioned to make significant contributions to the advancement of the industry by investing in how we train airline professionals as we continue to develop top-level industry talent for our airline partners,” said Menecola.

CAPDA explains it is currently looking for industry and academic partners, as well as postgraduate students, to work collaboratively in the development of training techniques, programs and systems to modernize aviation training. More specifically, the company is looking to fill full-time, part-time and contract positions in the following disciplines: Research and development, augmented/virtual reality, software and courseware design, grant funding, and sponsorship.