CAE, Jazz and Seneca launch first cadet pilot training program in Canada

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Nov 19, 2019, 06:00 ET

The new all-Canadian cadet pilot training program called Jazz Approach comes with a conditional letter of employment from the airline
For more information, visit cae.com/jazz

MONTREAL, Nov. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - CAE (NYSE: CAE) (TSX: CAE), Jazz Aviation (Jazz) (a subsidiary of Chorus Aviation Inc.), and Seneca have teamed up to develop Jazz Approach, an innovative Canadian program to provide Jazz with a pipeline of top-quality first officers. Cadets will receive a letter of employment from Jazz upon selection into the program, allowing for a direct path to join the airline as first officers conditional upon successful completion of the program. The parties involved have signed a five-year partnership agreement and the first cohort is set to begin training in April 2020.

"CAE creates over 1,500 new pilots yearly over 30 cadet training programs globally, and we are thrilled to add a first Canadian cadet pilot training program to our list of curricula," said Nick Leontidis, CAE's Group President, Civil Aviation Training Solutions. "The demand for pilots has never been so high. With over 300,000 pilots needed globally over the next decade, CAE is working closely with airlines around the world to come up with pilot creation solutions. This program is a one-of-a-kind program, and a great example of how the Canadian aviation industry is working closely together to come up with innovative solutions to face that challenge. We thank Jazz for its trust, we are honored to help expand upon its pipeline of future pilots and we look forward to training them alongside Seneca."

Jazz Aviation's pilots have been training in CAE's network in Canada since 2003. Now, under this new agreement, with its partner Seneca, CAE will be assisting Jazz in the selection, training and certification of new pilots.

"We are very excited to partner with two exceptional Canadian organizations, CAE and Seneca, to introduce the Jazz Approach program," said Captain Steve Linthwaite, Vice President, Flight Operations for Jazz Aviation. "For Jazz, this innovative initiative will be an expansion of our Jazz Aviation Pathways Program (Jazz APP) and provides yet another avenue for future generations of pilots to launch their careers in aviation. The roots of the Jazz APP program go back to 2007 and the addition of Jazz Approach is an important step in growing the program to yet another level. We have worked with both CAE and Seneca for many years and we are delighted to have the opportunity to join together to introduce this program in Canada."

"We are thrilled to be partnering with CAE and Jazz Aviation through this innovative all-Canadian collaboration. The Jazz Approach program builds on the success of our partnership with Jazz Aviation and will be an excellent addition to the suite of academic and hands-on training offered within our School of Aviation," said Lynne McMullen, Director of Strategic Partnerships with Seneca's School of Aviation. "The Jazz Approach program is another opportunity for Seneca to be on the forefront of flight training in Canada."

About the Jazz Approach program
CAE, Jazz and Seneca developed the Jazz Approach program in close collaboration, showcasing the latest competency-based training innovations. The Jazz Approach program embeds Jazz Aviation Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Threat and Error Management strategies. Under the terms of this program, CAE will conduct recruitment, assessment and selection of the cadets according to Jazz's defined criteria. The cadets will undergo the integrated Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) training over 18 months at Seneca's School of Aviation in Peterborough, Ontario. Following completion, CAE will provide a CRJ200 type rating at CAE Toronto, leveraging CAE's innovative training equipment. Upon successful completion of the training program and subject to certain conditions, the first graduates will join Jazz Aviation as first officers by the end of 2021. Applications for the Jazz Approach training program will open on December 1^st2019. For more information, visit cae.com/jazz

About Jazz Aviation
Jazz Aviation LP has a strong history in Canadian aviation with its roots going back to the 1930s. Jazz is owned by Chorus Aviation Inc. (TSX: CHR). Chorus' vision is to deliver regional aviation to the world. As the largest regional carrier in Canada, Jazz has a proven track record of industry leadership and exceptional customer service, and has leveraged that strength to deliver value to all its stakeholders. Jazz, under the Air Canada Express brand, operates more flights and flies to more Canadian destinations than any other airline, and has a workforce of approximately 5,000 professionals, highly experienced in the challenging and complex nature of regional operations.

About the Jazz APP
Since 2007 Jazz has been actively involved in shaping the curriculum and training of Canada's future professional pilots through active engagement with aviation colleges, flight schools and universities. In 2015, Jazz rebranded these efforts under the Jazz Aviation Pathways Program banner. To-date, Jazz has announced agreements between Jazz APP and 20 Canadian aviation colleges, flight schools, universities and industry organizations. www.flyjazz.ca/pathwaysprogram

About Seneca
Combining career and professional skills training with theoretical knowledge, Seneca's expert faculty provide a polytechnic education to 30,000 full-time and 60,000 part-time students. With campuses in Toronto, York Region and Peterborough and education partners around the world, Seneca offers degrees, graduate certificates, diplomas and certificates in more than 300 full-time, part-time and online programs. Seneca's credentials are renowned for their quality and respected by employers. Co-op and work placements, applied research projects, entrepreneurial opportunities and the latest technology ensure that Seneca graduates are highly skilled and ready to work.

Find out more at Seneca.
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About CAE
CAE is a global leader in training for the civil aviation, defense and security, and healthcare markets. Backed by a record of more than 70 years of industry firsts, we continue to help define global training standards with our innovative virtual-to-live training solutions to make flying safer, maintain defense force readiness and enhance patient safety. We have the broadest global presence in the industry, with over 10,000 employees, 160 sites and training locations in over 35 countries. Each year, we train more than 220,000 civil and defense crewmembers, including more than 135,000 pilots, and thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide. www.cae.com

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SOURCE CAE INC.