Blue1 signs long term agreement with OAA for turnkey simulator support solution

Oxford Aviation Academy (“OAA”) and Blue1 have signed a long term agreement whereby OAA will provide a turnkey simulator hosting and operational support solution (“OAA Total Simulator Support”) on Blue1’s Boeing 717 full flight simulator at OAA’s Stockholm training facility.

The simulator will be the only Boeing 717 level D full flight simulator in Europe and is expected to be ready for training in March 2011.

Earlier this year, Blue1 made the decision to invest in a fleet of Boeing 717 aircraft and a full flight simulator to meet the needs of its rapidly expanding route network and increasing operations. OAA will be responsible for all engineering, maintenance, facility management, customer services and quality support for the simulator.

Heikki Setälä, Head of Flight Operations at Blue1, commented: "Given the lack of B717 simulator capacity in Europe, the acquisition of Blue1’s first full flight simulator was essential to support the major investment we have made in this aircraft type. The size of this investment and the critical nature of the simulator to our business made it imperative that we outsourced the simulator operations to a high quality, established organisation with years of simulator experience and expertise.”

Mike Humphreys, OAA Type Division Managing Director, commented: "We are delighted to add Blue1 to our Total Simulator Support customer list and to further expand our relationship with the SAS Group. Blue1 is expanding rapidly and the investment in their fleet highlights the airline’s commitment to its growth strategy and we look forward to working with them to help deliver their plans.”