Gulf Center for Aviation Studies celebrates 10 years of leadership in aviation training

 The Gulf Center for Aviation Studies (GCAS), the training arm of Abu Dhabi Airports, is celebrating  ten years of leadership in airport and aviation training.

Over the last 10 years GCAS has trained more than 50,000 students from all sectors of the aviation industry from the UAE and globally. While we welcomed students to our training facilities in Al Bateen Airport, Abu Dhabi, our instructors have delivered courses all across the world!

Since its foundation in 2009 with mandate to lead the development of the aviation industry in the UAE by producing highly qualified aviation professionals, GCAS has grown and advanced in leaps and bounds, becoming the entire region’s foremost destination for airport and aviation training.

A mere year after opening its doors to students in 2009, GCAS was selected by the Airports Council International (ACI) as a new training hub for the Middle East. Shortly afterwards in 2011, GCAS became the first aviation training center to be certified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as the world’s first  ‘TRAINAIR PLUS’ member.

GCAS’s partnership with JAA TO has ensured that the aviation industry in the Middle East have access to the highest quality safety course. Our partnership with IATA, especially in the area of dangerous goods has seen thousands of students being certified as Dangerous goods professionals. 

In the preceding years GCAS continued to grow. The Center was unanimously elected to chair ICAO’s TRAINAIR Plus Steering Committee in 2012, and was selected as the Regional Training Centre of Excellence (RTCE) by ICAO in 2014. By 2015, GCAS was recognized by ICAO for delivering the most shared and validated TRAINAIR PLUS Standardized Training Packages (STPs) than any other center worldwide, and in early 2019, GCAS was recognized as the best performing ACI training center in the Asia-Pacific Region.

We continue to work closely with our partners and clients around the world to ensure that our training courses are constantly updated to keep pace with aviation and technology changes & advancements. 

The GCAS team is grateful to all our partners, clients and students who have supported, advised, encouraged and worked with us on our journey till date.  

Bryan Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports commented: “We are proud of how far GCAS has come in the ten years since its foundation. GCAS has always been an essential part of Abu Dhabi Airports, supporting our efforts to grow and develop the aviation sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the wider Middle East region by delivering world-class training programs to students and aviation professionals involved in every aspect of the industry.”

Zamzam Al Hammadi, General Manager GCAS, said: “It is an honor to celebrate the tenth anniversary of GCAS and witness the progress we have made in becoming the world’s leading center for airport and aviation training. Our innovative culture of learning and excellence as well as our comprehensive portfolio of courses is unrivalled within the region and we look forward to building upon our success in the coming months and years.” 

Aviation is an industry built on collaboration, cooperation and communication and over the next 12 months, GCAS will be holding a range of activities open to all segments of the industry – from new joiners, to seasoned professionals, to the general public.

• We will be holding a number of workshops focusing on topics such as artificial intelligence, innovation, business continuity, safety, security, to name but a few.
• Special discounts and complimentary seats to students who are self-funded will be offered on popular courses.
• For experienced aviation professionals, we will be offering the opportunity for them to upgrade their current skills and expertise, with special rates on ICAO Train the Trainer courses as well as on our Dangerous Goods courses.
• For new joiners to the industry, college & school students, there will be number of complimentary workshop scheduled to give them an overview of careers available in the aviation industry.
• Women in Aviation will be a key focus area and we will be working with our parent company Abu Dhabi Airports and with organizations around to world to highlight the key role that women play in our industry!
• We will also be working closely with stakeholders in the development and upskilling of Emirati talent building aviation professionals for the future.

As the UAE celebrates 2019 as the Year of Tolerance, GCAS will continue to build on the message of tolerance, dialogue, coexistence and openness through its training programs.