NZAero eyes AI pilot training as CT-4 production restarts

NZAero is exploring partnerships with technology firms to develop an AI-assisted pilot training system for its CT-4 Airtrainer as it resumes production of a new generation of the aircraft after a 14-year pause.

The Waikato-based manufacturer is examining how artificial intelligence could be used alongside flight and cockpit data collected during training sorties. The updated CT-4 is set to include systems that record aircraft position, engine parameters, avionics information and video, with data sent back to base for instructors to review.

NZAero has already started building five new CT-4 Airtrainers, the first fresh production run for the type since 2012. The aircraft are returning with a modern glass cockpit and a range of safety and performance changes. The company says it is seeing interest from military and civilian training organisations.

Stephen Burrows, Chief Executive Officer of NZAero, said AI could help instructors make better use of the expanded pool of information gathered from each flight.

"The technology gives instructors access to significantly more information about each training flight. If AI can be used to interrogate that data, there is potential to identify areas where pilot training and safety can be improved.

"There are New Zealand tech companies already working in areas such as synthetic training and data capture, so we are investigating how that local capability could be combined with the aircraft to create a wider New Zealand-developed aviation training solution," said Burrows.

Training demand

NZAero is pursuing the project as aircraft makers and training providers track long-term pilot demand forecasts. Boeing has previously forecast the global commercial aviation industry will need 674,000 new pilots over the next 20 years, including about 62,000 in Southeast Asia through 2044.

That demand has direct implications for basic and intermediate training fleets, where aircraft such as the CT-4 sit at the start of the pilot development pipeline. Burrows said the aircraft occupies a specialist role in early-stage training, where students learn core flying skills before moving to faster and more complex platforms.

"There are only a small number of aircraft that compete directly in this category, and the competing designs are also relatively old.

"What we have is a proven aircraft now being brought back into production with a modern glass cockpit, flight data capture, and significant safety and performance improvements.

"We are also seeing growing international interest from civilian operators involved in airline pilot training.

"The CT-4 provides that important first step in a pilot's development. It allows trainees to establish core flying skills in an aircraft that is straightforward and forgiving to operate before progressively introducing the speed, technology, and complexity of more advanced platforms.

"With particularly strong aviation growth forecast across our region, we believe there is a real opportunity for New Zealand to capture a larger share of this international market," said Burrows.

International interest has been strong enough for NZAero to restart CT-4 production before securing buyers for the first five aircraft. One area of civilian demand is upset prevention and recovery training, or UPRT, which teaches pilots how to respond to unusual aircraft attitudes and loss-of-control scenarios.

In that segment, the CT-4 is being positioned as an alternative to tailwheel aerobatic aircraft, which can be harder for inexperienced pilots to handle. Its tricycle undercarriage and side-by-side seating allow an instructor and trainee to operate together in a layout that can be introduced earlier in training.

"The civilian market is particularly interesting because there is a global shortage of suitable aircraft for this type of training. The same characteristics that have made the CT-4 successful as a military trainer for more than half a century also make it relevant to a new generation of commercial pilots," said Burrows.

Thai relationship

The production restart also comes as NZAero deepens its long-running relationship with Thailand, where the CT-4 has been used in military pilot training since the 1970s. The company recently signed a new memorandum of understanding linked to aviation cooperation with the country.

NZAero said the agreement could be worth tens of millions of dollars in export revenue over the next three years. It covers maintenance and sustainment expertise, personnel development and training, technical support, knowledge sharing, and longer-term planning for spare parts and engines.

Thailand is already an important customer for the business. The Royal Thai Air Force operates 25 CT-4 aircraft, including 19 CT-4Es that NZAero is discussing modernising with updated electronic avionics and other safety, reliability, and performance changes, subject to government budget approval.

If that work goes ahead, Burrows said Thailand could account for about 20% of NZAero's business within the next year, up from around 10% currently. About 3,500 Thai pilots have completed basic flight training on the CT-4 at least once since the type entered service there in 1973.

The international activity is also feeding into hiring. NZAero is advertising 10 roles across quality, safety, and logistics as it expands support for export work, including the Thai market.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon linked the aviation agreement with Thailand to wider trade and defence ties between the two countries.

"New Zealand and Thailand have a strong and longstanding relationship, and as we mark 70 years of diplomatic ties there is a real opportunity to translate that relationship into greater trade, investment and defence cooperation.

"New Zealand has world-class advanced manufacturing and aerospace capability, and this is exactly the kind of high-value sector where we want to see Kiwi businesses competing and succeeding internationally," said Luxon.

Burrows said the agreement reflected what the company had already delivered in the market.

"The agreement is an important endorsement of what our team in New Zealand has been able to deliver and provides a platform for us to deepen our aviation relationship with Thailand," said Burrows.