Antoine Francois, Cliffton Leon, Damien Azemia, Erol Agricole, Hervé Toulon, Mario DeSylva and Marlon Nourrice are seven Seychellois engineers who have successfully completed one of the top aviation world-class training with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi.
The newly graduated group started their four-year course in September 2012, where they learned about both the theoretical and practical components of aircraft maintenance engineering.
A formal welcome ceremony was organised yesterday afternoon at the Air Seychelles VIP Lounge to formally welcome the engineers.
Present at the welcome ceremony were the general manager (GM) of operations Christophe Schippel, the chief executive (CEO) of Etihad Airways engineering Jeff Wilkinson, head of engineering training at Etihad Airways, family members and other Air Seychelles staff.
Mr Schippel welcomed the new graduates by congratulating them on their successful journey.
“We congratulate each of our seven new graduates on completing their training with Etihad Airways, which has equipped them with the skills, experience and qualifications to take up key positions at Air Seychelles. This group represents the next generation of Seychellois leaders in aviation and to see them do so well is a very proud moment for us all,” he said.
He added that the four-year programme enabled the graduates to have the necessary skills to embark on such a journey.
“The four-year programme enabled our engineers to gain a wealth of experience with modern Airbus aircraft that form the backbone of our international fleet, made possibly by our partnership with Etihad Airways. Their graduation once again demonstrates our commitment to the professional development of Seychellois youth as well as the emphasis we place on human resources, which is vital for securing the future of Air Seychelles,” he said.
Mr Wilkinson pointed out that the graduates have managed to gain knowledge and enhance their abilities to operate on technologically advanced aircraft.
“Over the past four years, these men have gained knowledge and valuable hands-on experience on mechanically superior aircraft as they immersed themselves in an organisation of engineering excellence. We are confident they will be an asset to their national carrier, as they use the skills and knowledge they acquired at Etihad Airways Engineering’s world-class facility in Abu Dhabi,” he said.
Following their classroom training, the students rotated between aircraft hangars in Seychelles and Abu Dhabi, where they honed their practical skills and learned from senior professionals of Air Seychelles and Etihad Airways.
The practical component of the course covered various aspects of line maintenance and engineering checks on Airbus aircraft, such as the A320s and A330s in the Air Seychelles fleet, all the way up to the A380s, the world’s largest passenger airliners operated by Etihad Airways.
Graduate Cliffton Leon, 34 years old, stated that throughout this course, he managed to overcome all obstacles and enhance his knowledge about aircraft.
“The training was fantastic and really showed us how much work goes on in the background, while the aircraft is on the ground. We have all learned a lot and gained significant experience in aircraft maintenance that we look forward to putting to good use at Air Seychelles,” he said.
His colleague, Errol Agricole, 26 years old, added they all managed to be strong and help each other while settling in Abu Dhabi.
“Settling into life in Abu Dhabi was easy as there were seven of us from Seychelles and we received a lot of support. The training was very in-depth and covered many areas in aviation maintenance engineering. It emphasised to us that our job is critical for ensuring the safety of aircraft, and as such accountability is very important in our line of work,” he said.
The theory sessions fulfilled European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) requirements for an aircraft maintenance engineering licence. Courses included aviation regulations, digital techniques and aerodynamics.
Source : Seychelles NATION