Eurowings opens new crew training centre in Dusseldorf

Germany

New 2,000-square-metre facility near Dusseldorf Airport will train up to 150 crew members a day, with virtual reality technology to follow in 2027

Eurowings and Lufthansa Aviation Training have opened their first joint crew training centre in Dusseldorf, bringing safety and service training closer to the airline’s largest base. Operated by Lufthansa Aviation Training on behalf of Eurowings, the new facility combines conventional training rooms with specialised equipment for realistic emergency and operational exercises.

Covering 2,000 square metres close to Dusseldorf Airport, the centre has been designed for both cabin and cockpit crews. Once fully operational, it will have capacity for up to 150 trainees per day, reducing travel requirements for employees based at the airport while expanding Eurowings’ training infrastructure in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Emergency situations recreated on the ground

Much of the equipment is designed to reproduce situations crews could encounter during flight operations. A cabin mock-up allows evacuation procedures to be practised, while a dedicated door trainer is used for correct aircraft-door handling. Additional equipment covers procedures associated with the Airbus A320 family.

An evacuation slide tower provides training for short- and medium-haul aircraft, while an outdoor area enables crews to practise onboard firefighting procedures.

Technology will play a larger role from 2027, when a virtual reality area is scheduled to become part of the facility. Cabin crew and pilots will then be able to practise selected scenarios in a simulated environment.

Recurrent training becomes more practice-oriented

The opening is accompanied by changes to Eurowings’ training programme. Ground Recurrent Training, the regular refresher programme for crew members, will increasingly focus on competencies required during actual flight operations.

Rather than concentrating primarily on individual procedures in isolation, training will draw more heavily on practical situations encountered during everyday operations. Eurowings becomes the second Lufthansa Group airline after Brussels Airlines to introduce the new recurrent training concept.

Edi Wolfensberger, COO of Eurowings, said the cooperation with Lufthansa Aviation Training would provide cabin and cockpit crews at the airline’s largest base with practical and efficient training conditions. He also described the investment in safety and onboard service quality as a commitment to North Rhine-Westphalia as an aviation hub.

Lufthansa Aviation Training operates the facility

Lufthansa Aviation Training is responsible for operating the centre and delivering the safety and service programmes. The facility was developed specifically around Eurowings’ training requirements.

Matthias Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa Aviation Training, described the opening as an important step in expanding high-quality aviation training infrastructure in North Rhine-Westphalia. He highlighted the close cooperation with Eurowings in establishing the new facility within a relatively short period.

With its location close to Dusseldorf Airport, the centre combines specialised training infrastructure with shorter journeys for crews, while creating additional capacity for the airline’s future safety and service training.