Thales UK eyeing Indian Simulator Market

London: With 50 percent of the global Full Flight Simulator (FFS) market (its chief rival is the Canadian CAE, with 44 percent), Thales UK, the wholly owned British arm of the French principal, sees simulators as serious business.
And India is one market that holds tremendous potential, Thales UK officials recently told a team of visiting Indian journalists. At present, India has six simulators for its approximately 200 civilian aircraft.
But with an estimated 362 additional aircraft on order, ‘We believe that the country will need upwards of 20 simulators over the next two to three years for its Airbus and Boeing purchases. And maybe three more for ATRs,’ a Thales UK official said.
Thales UK has a capacity to build between 30 to 40 simulators in a year, with each taking anywhere between 10 to 12 months to produce. And it hopes a sizeable part of that capacity will cater to the Indian market in the coming years.
09/07/06 India eNews.com

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