CAE 5000 Series simulator surpasses 15,000 hours of training

Montreal, February 18, 2009 – (NYSE: CGT; TSX: CAE) – CAE today announced that its CAE 5000 Series full-flight simulator (FFS), which was launched in March 2007 and entered service a year ago, has surpassed 15,000 hours of training in its first year of service. 

CAE also announced that a CAE 5000 Series A320 FFS for Aeroflot Russian Airlines as well as a CAE 5000 Series A320 FFS for the Zhuhai Flight Training Centre in China have recently achieved Level D certification, the highest qualification for flight simulators. The Zhuhai Flight Training Centre, a joint venture of China Southern Airlines and CAE, had its first CAE 5000 Series FFS certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). In addition, two CAE 5000 Series B737NG FFSs for Ryanair have recently been qualified, which Ryanair will use specifically for recurrent training.

“CAE continues to be the market leader because of our close customer relationships, our intense focus on simulation and training and our drive for continuous innovation and technological leadership,” said Marc Parent, CAE’s Chief Operating Officer.  “The CAE 5000 Series was the result of close collaboration with customers to deliver a breakthrough full-flight simulator delivering increased flexibility, enhanced efficiency, and reduced costs.  CAE offers the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of simulation products and training services—including the CAE 5000 Series—and is in the best position to help airlines meet their training requirements in today’s challenging business climate.”

More than 30 CAE 5000 Series FFS are either in-service or scheduled to enter service this year. CAE 5000 Series FFS have been sold to airlines and training organizations such as Lufthansa Flight Training, Qantas, Aeroflot and Ryanair, as well as deployed throughout CAE’s global training network. The CAE 5000 Series has been designed for a variety of aircraft types, including the Airbus A320, Boeing 737NG, Embraer Phenom 100/300, Bombardier Q400 and a range of other business aircraft.

After more than 15,000 hours of operation in its first year of service, CAE and its customers have been able to assess a range of performance measures for the CAE 5000 Series, including:

Greater than 98.5 percent availability;

Between and 20 and 30 percent lower operating costs due to lower power consumption, less preventative and corrective maintenance, and fewer spares;

Reduced delivery time by approximately 30 percent from contract award to ready-for-training.

CAE is a world leader in providing simulation and modelling technologies and integrated training solutions for the civil aviation industry and defence forces around the globe. With annual revenues exceeding C$1.4 billion, CAE employs approximately 7,000 people at more than 75 sites and training locations in 20 countries. We have the largest installed base of civil and military full-flight simulators and training devices. Through our global network of 27 civil aviation and military training centres, we train more than 75,000 crewmembers yearly. We also offer modelling and simulation software to various market segments and, through CAE’s professional services division, we assist customers with a wide range of simulation-based needs.
www.cae.com

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CAE contacts:
Nathalie Bourque, Vice President, Public Affairs and Global Communications, (514) 734-5788, nathalie.bourque@cae.com

Trade media: Chris Stellwag, Director, Marketing Communications, Simulation Products and Military Training & Services, (813) 887-1242, chris.stellwag@cae.com

Investor relations: Andrew Arnovitz, Vice President, Investor Relations and Strategy, (514) 734-5760, andrew.arnovitz@cae.com