Embry‑Riddle Partners with Qatar Aeronautical Academy to Train the Next Generation of Aviation Talent

Dr. Kelly Austin, senior vice president of Academic Affairs and provost at Embry-Riddle, signed a memorandum of understanding with His Excellency Sheikh Jabor Bin Hamad Al-Thani, of Qatar Aeronautical Academy.
Dr. Kelly Austin, senior vice president of Academic Affairs and provost at Embry‑Riddle, signed a memorandum of understanding with His Excellency Sheikh Jabor Bin Hamad Al-Thani, of Qatar Aeronautical Academy. (Photo: Embry‑Riddle/David Massey)

Jul 01, 2024, 11:07 AM

Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University and Qatar Aeronautical Academy (QAA) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which formalized the companies’ shared plan to offer undergraduate programs to QAA students.

Founded in 1977, QAA has grown to become the Gulf region’s leading provider of training for the aviation industry. The academy offers full-time courses for aspiring pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians, air traffic controllers, meteorologists, airport operations management personnel and flight dispatchers, among others.

The QAA campus, located in Al Khulaifat Area, is strategically positioned between Doha International Airport and Hamad International Airport. The primary facility, situated inside Doha International Airport, caters to flight training, aircraft maintenance training and aircraft support services.

Under the new agreement, students who graduate from the QAA Airline Transport Pilot License program, a 22-month full-time diploma program in Aviation Studies, will also earn a commercial pilot’s license with multi-engine instrument rating from the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, which is the region’s equivalent to the FAA. Graduates of the program will then have the option to transfer to Embry‑Riddle as sophomores in the Aeronautics program.

This agreement aligns with Embry‑Riddle’s and QAA’s shared mission to prepare and train the next generation of aviation leaders. QAA is a Full Member/TRAINAIR PLUS member of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

“This partnership is formed at a time when aviation in the Middle East is growing rapidly, especially in Qatar. Such growth presents unique prospects for synergy between both Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University and Qatar Aeronautical Academy, two institutions that share the same mission of producing the next generation of aviation industry leaders,” said Embry‑Riddle President P. Barry Butler, Ph.D. “We look forward to a successful relationship that advances aviation education and generates important opportunities for Qatari students.”