Ken Blanchard Companies signs landmark agreement with Prince Sultan Aviation Academy to deliver leadership development training

The Ken Blanchard Companies®, a global leader in management training, consulting, and coaching, announced its partnership with the Prince Sultan Aviation Academy, part of the Saudia Group and the largest provider of aviation training in Saudi Arabia, to develop leadership capability for the future of the aviation industry.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at the first Future Aviation Forum hosted by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz from 9-11 May, 2022, is an important step towards building the local capability required to develop the world class leadership needed for the aviation industry to deliver on its Vision 2030 targets.

With state-of-the-art training facilities in Jeddah including flight simulators for pilot training, Prince Sultan Aviation Academy is the trusted training partner for the aviation industry in Saudi Arabia. As they continue to expand their management training and leadership development capabilities this partnership will widen access to Blanchard training programs including the flagship SLII® program – the most widely used leadership training model in the world – which teaches leaders how to build meaningful connections with coworkers that create exponential impact.

An important element of the proposed relationship will be Blanchard’s approach to the upskilling and certifying of local trainers to deliver Blanchard programs in country and in Arabic as and when required. “Blanchard are excited and proud to announce this partnership with the PSAA”, says Richard Pound, Blanchard’s VP of Global Sales.  “We see this strategic alliance as a powerful way of bringing our world class solutions into the Kingdom, and help deliver our vision of developing future leaders in the aviation industry to support the goals of Vision 2030.”

The CEO of Prince Sultan Aviation Academy, Capt. Ismael Koshy stated, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. The partnership with global management training leader The Ken Blanchard Companies will further enhance our training program at PSAA and strengthen our curriculum to develop leadership capability for the future of the aviation industry.”

The Future Aviation Forum is held amidst big investment opportunities in the sector as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to drive forward crucial economic diversification programs to realize Vision 2030 – the Kingdom’s blueprint for future prosperity led by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud – which includes a tripling of the contribution from the aviation sector from SR80 billion ($21.3bn) in 2018 to SR280bn ($74.6bn) by 2030.

About The Ken Blanchard Companies

The Ken Blanchard Companies is a global leader in management training, consulting, and coaching. For more than 40 years, Blanchard® has been helping organizations develop inspired leaders at all levels and create cultures of connection that unleash talent and deliver extraordinary results. Blanchard’s SLII® powers inspired leaders and is the leadership model of choice for more than 10,000 organizations worldwide. Blanchard also offers a suite of other award-winning leadership development solutions through flexible delivery modalities to meet the specific needs of its clients.

About The Prince Sultan Aviation Academy

Prince Sultan Aviation Academy (PSAA) is a Strategic Business Unit of Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation and is considered the only Advanced Aviation Training Center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The academy provides training in all aviation fields including Flying, Inflight Service, Flight Safety, Aircraft Maintenance, English language, Ground Operations, Customer Service, Aviation Management Courses and more. The academy provides professional and quality aviation training in compliance with national and international regulations and Safety Standards to Regional and Global commercial air carriers. The PSAA is also an IATA Regional Training Partner and an Authorized Training Center, offering IATA courses and certificate programs.