CAE (Booth 1501) will expand its flight-training footprint in the U.S. with the start of construction on a new major pilot instruction facility in Las Vegas. Work on the new training center was announced Tuesday at NBAA-BACE, which is being held in Vegas this week. Slated to open in mid-2022, it will be CAE’s first training center on the West Coast.

The location was chosen as part of the Canadian flight training provider’s strategy to situate its centers in areas where its customers fly their aircraft, and it will be located at LogistiCenter at Sunset, a newly-built, 151,200-sq-ft building on the southeastern corner of Harry Reid International Airport. It is expected to eventually house eight full-flight business aircraft simulators for platforms including the Gulfstream G550 and G650, as well as the Bombardier Global 7500.

“This new training center is an important addition to our global network of centers and underscores our commitment to helping the business aviation industry build and grow a strong pipeline of pilots,” said Nick Leontidis, the Canadian company’s group president for civil aviation training solutions, adding that CAE has received a warm welcome from both the city and state. “We look forward to playing a key supportive role in Nevada’s aerospace and defense industry for many years to come.”