Boeing Training and Flight Services aims to start a multi-crew pilot licence course in eastern Europe and North America this year.

"The idea is to get carriers from Asia and the Middle East to send their people to the MPL course in North America, whereas the eastern European course will be for locally based students," says Roei Ganzarski, Boeing T&FS chief customer officer commercial aviation services.

Although Ganzarski declines to identify the North America location of the course, he describes Transport Canada as "very progressive" and says Canada has put in the necessary regulations to facilitate MPL courses. The USA, meanwhile, is still working on it, he says.

Other countries that have the regulations in place include Australia, the Philippines and Singapore.

Boeing Training and Flight Services had a Beta test in Australia in 2008 for MPL. The six students graduated early last year and the students' performance is continuing to be monitored now that they are flying with China Eastern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines, says Ganzarski.

Source: Flight International