L3 Tech Commits $100 Mln Investment In U.K.'s Commercial Aviation Industry

(RTTNews) - L3 Technologies (LLL) said that it is investing more than $100 million in its soon-to-open London Training Center, supporting London Gatwick as the epicenter of its worldwide commercial pilot training operations. This significant commitment from L3 is designed to meet increasing airline customer demand and to help address the worldwide shortage of commercial pilots.

The investment will ensure that L3 Commercial Aviation continues to provide an industry-leading experience for pilots and cadets, and reflects the U.K.'s crucial role in the industry.

Demand at the new facility has been strong, with many customers already confirmed to start training at the London Training Center when it opens in the first quarter of 2019. These include easyJet, WOW air, Norwegian and TUI. The facility will also support L3 Airline Academy cadet training programs.

The London Training Center will also house a production facility capable of manufacturing 30 Full Flight Simulators (FFS) per year. The increased FFS manufacturing capacity will be crucial in allowing the company to meet growing demand for its RealitySeven FFS devices.

When fully operational, the London Training Center will include eight L3 RealitySeven FFS, four high-fidelity L3 Flight Training Devices, eight Flat Panel Trainers, eight classrooms and briefing rooms, as well as the production facility. In total, the facility will be home to more than 350 jobs.