Community-youth, Company-visits, Youth

NUS Aviation Club’s Industrial Tour with Airbus

01 Dec 2023
Text by Tan Ryan Jevon and Ilyssa Feng, NUS Aviation Club

On 21^st September 2022, NUS Aviation Club was invited to a tour at the Airbus Singapore Campus and Airbus Asia Training Centre (AATC) at Seletar Aerospace Park. One year on, the memories and insight I had gained during this tour still stay with me vividly.

Photo: NUS Aviation Club

It is safe to say that anyone interested in the aviation industry will know Airbus as one of the largest commercial plane manufacturers in the world. But what many of us were not aware of prior to the tour, myself included, was the range and diversity of business sectors that Airbus was involved in. From helicopters to space programmes to defence and cybersecurity, it was easy to marvel at the sheer outreach of Airbus. During the briefing, we were also introduced to some of the sustainability initiatives and efforts piloted by Airbus, such as their ZeroE programme and the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

After listening the briefing, Mr. Zakir Hamid, General Manager of AATC, led us on a personal tour around AATC. Walking around the sprawling premises on a guided tour, its size, and what it represented, was not lost on me. The feature wall containing the list of countries and companies that have partnerships with Airbus seemed endless, and a thought struck me then, “What a cosmopolitan world I was part of just by having an interest in aviation.”

As an aspiring commercial pilot myself, it was inspiring to see the impact the industry has, and the roles that I hope to one day see myself in. With these dreams at the forefront of my mind, it was surreal to see the actual briefing rooms and classrooms used to train pilots, as well as the different flight simulators. Entering the A330 simulator and trying out some of the functions of the stimulator brought about a mix of awe and trepidation. The interior with its array of floor-to-ceiling switches and screens was almost daunting in its complexity, side-by-side with the wonder that makes us want to reach out and run our fingers along the switches. It was definitely one of the highlights of the visit!

The Airbus industrial tour was an incredible privilege and an experience that effortlessly fuelled and affirmed my passion for aviation. A big thank you to the staff at Airbus that made this experience not only possible, but a positive and enjoyable one that I will remember.