Boeing and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) have launched a collaboration that will provide Thai pilot training organizations with access to Boeing’s Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) Learning Library.

According to Boeing, CAAT is the first regulator to adopt its CBTA platform for use across a broader national pilot training system. The solution will be made available to participating flight schools in Thailand, with the aim of harmonizing training standards, improving training quality and better preparing cadets for the requirements of modern airline operations.

CBTA is an approach that focuses not only on the number of completed training hours, the repetition of individual exercises or the successful execution of predefined maneuvers. A candidate’s progress is also assessed according to their ability to apply acquired knowledge, practical skills and appropriate behavior in different operational circumstances.

Such training covers technical aircraft handling skills, as well as decision-making, communication, teamwork, workload management, situational awareness and the identification and mitigation of potential threats and errors. The objective is to develop competencies that candidates can apply even in situations that were not directly practiced during training.

Boeing’s CBTA Learning Library contains training materials designed to develop these competencies and systematically assess them throughout different stages of pilot training. By involving the regulator in the implementation of the program, Thailand aims to establish a more consistent approach among participating flight schools while maintaining a focus on the requirements of future employers and internationally recognized pilot training principles.

The agreement was presented during the Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium (APATS) in Bangkok. Boeing believes the collaboration will help Thailand’s pilot training system prepare more candidates for airline careers at a time when demand for flight crew continues to grow across Southeast Asia.

According to Boeing’s latest long-term forecast, airlines in Southeast Asia will require approximately 66,000 new pilots over the next 20 years. Expanding training capacity must therefore be accompanied by standardized criteria confirming that candidates possess the technical and behavioral competencies required to operate in a complex aviation environment, rather than merely having formally completed a training program.

Chris Broom, vice president of Boeing Commercial Training Solutions, said the collaboration with CAAT would help future pilots acquire the knowledge and competencies needed to operate safely and efficiently. Iratrachar Amornpipat of CAAT’s Personnel Licensing Department described the introduction of Boeing’s training solutions as an important step in raising pilot training standards and supporting the continued development of Thailand’s aviation industry.

The program will not automatically include every flight school in Thailand. Instead, Boeing’s platform will be available to training organizations that participate in the initiative. Nevertheless, the collaboration is significant because it marks the first time a regulator has introduced Boeing’s CBTA solution as a common foundation for a broader national system of professional pilot training.