Canada-based training partner CAE has entered into a strategic partnership with corporate aviation service company Directional Aviation Capital. It will form a joint venture with DAC's affiliate, Volo Sicuro, and acquire for approximately US$85 million a 50 per cent stake in US simulator training company SimCom Holdings.

DAC's affiliated business aircraft operators, among them Flexjet, Flight Options, Flairjet, Sirio, Nextant Aerospace and Corporate Wings, will enter into a 15 year exclusive training services agreement with SimCom and with CAE. Together, these aircraft operators have a rapidly growing fleet of approximately 175 business aircraft. Alongside this, to enhance its training offering, SimCom will purchase equipment including five full flight simulators from CAE's latest product offering.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

“We are very pleased that Directional Aviation has chosen CAE to be its training partner of choice. Our investment in SimCom is another step in the expansion of CAE's business aviation training that gives us access to a rapidly growing customer base as Directional Aviation affiliates' exclusive training partner for the next 15 years,” says CAE president and CEO Marc Parent. “Both CAE and Directional are recognised for their innovative approach to business aviation and we look forward to working with Directional affiliates and business partners and providing them with the most technologically enriched training programmes, including our state-of-the-art simulation products and advanced digital solutions.”

“Directional Aviation is charting the course of private aviation, worldwide. Today, we operate one of the largest business aviation fleets globally and we plan on having significant growth in the future,” adds DAC principal Kenn Ricci. “With this partnership, our operators will have access to the latest solutions in aviation training from the industry leader.”

“We have a clear vision for SimCom's future as an innovative training provider focused on the owner-flown market as well as fleet operators,” notes SimCom president and CEO Eric Hinson. “We are extremely pleased to partner with CAE and leverage its industry leading technology and training expertise to better serve our customers.”

Directional Aviation Capital is a private investment firm whose singular focus is private business aviation. Combining strategic aviation ownership, experience and vision, the company continues to innovate and reshape private aviation. Industry expertise enables it to quickly understand business aviation companies and provide the financing and operational strategy needed to take advantage of evolving market opportunities. Directional's OneSky Flight portfolio of private jet travel providers includes shared ownership/fractional jet ownership, jet card, membership and on demand charter providers. Industry leaders representing MRO, private jet remanufacturing, aviation parts distribution and more also make up the Directional family.

A privately-owned, comprehensive learning institution, SimCom utilises simulator-based training to provide advanced aviation training services to professional pilots, owner-operators, Part 135 operators and maintenance personnel operating in general aviation, regional, military, government and cargo operations around the world. The company currently operates 47 simulators representative of a wide range of jet, turboprop and piston powered aircraft. Headquarters are in Orlando, Florida, where it also operates two training centers. Additional training centers are located in Scottsdale, Arizona; and Humberside, UK. SimCom was purchased by DAC in November 2018.

CAE provides training for the civil aviation, defence and security and healthcare markets. Backed by a record of more than 70 years of industry firsts, it continues to help define global training standards with virtual-to-live training solutions to make flying safer, maintain defence force readiness and enhance patient safety. The company has over 10,000 employees, 160 sites and training locations in over 35 countries. Each year it trains more than 220,000 civil and defence crew members, including more than 135,000 pilots.