SAIT’s Art Smith Aero Centre celebrates 20 years with a bright future on the horizon
Art Smith Aero Centre for Training and Technology keeps Alberta primed to emerge as a hub for global aviation training
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Calgary, AB (Monday, Oct. 21, 2024) — Today, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) marks a significant milestone in its aviation training legacy, celebrating decades of excellence since its small beginnings in 1928, with an initial cohort of only eight students. SAIT continues to shape the future of aviation in Alberta and offers four programs focused on aircraft maintenance and structures, avionics and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) at the Art Smith Aero Centre.
SAIT’s aviation training wouldn’t look as it does today without the vision and commitment of the aero centre’s namesake Art Smith — a native Calgarian and prominent figure in Canadian aviation history.
Located on land connected to Taxiway "N" at the Calgary International Airport, the centre occupies 13 acres and includes state-of-the-art classrooms and labs, as well as a 21,000 square foot hangar. Designed to operate at industry and SAIT standards, the facility provides exceptional classroom learning and hands-on training.
“The need for aviation professionals has tripled in the last 20 years and I don’t see a slowdown any time soon,” says Lynda Holden, Dean, School of Transportation, SAIT. “I used to see workforce demand ebb and flow and I don’t see that anymore. Instead, I’m seeing a continual increase in demand for aviation and aerospace talent.”
Calgary Economic Development has identified aerospace as an area for significant growth in Alberta, with one of the country’s busiest airports and headquarters for two of Canada’s major airlines in Calgary. Alberta’s aerospace and defense sector currently generates $3.25 billion to provincial GDP and the growing aerospace and defence sector was projected to spend $54 million on digital transformation by 2024.
“Global demand for commercial transportation and the aerospace and defence sector is on the rise. Underdeveloped and emerging markets are seeing growth in the middle class, which results in a higher standard of living and a desire to travel by air,” says Holden.
SAIT continues to adapt and meet the needs of industry to ensure a pipeline of highly skilled aviation professionals.
“We have a world-class facility with an extremely capable and experienced faculty. The more the world talks about aviation, the more we realize the demand for a skilled workforce,” says Holden. “Those emerging markets may not have the infrastructure to provide high quality training, and we want them to look to SAIT as the standard. We want to work with partners around the globe to help other countries grow their aviation workforce.”
With the launch of a Professional Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems certificate in 2023, the centre works closely with SAIT’s Centre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems (CIRUS) to fill the demand for heavy-lift drone pilots and technicians, and further research and development for RPAS heavy-lift and beyond-visual-line-of-sight application. Initially available with one intake, the program quickly moved to two and continues to be full with a waitlist at every intake.
About SAIT
Established in 1916, SAIT was the first of its kind, publicly funded technical school in North America. As a global leader in applied education and research — serving nearly 40,000 students annually — SAIT offers certificate, diploma, post diploma, apprenticeship and applied degree programs, baccalaureate degrees, corporate training and more than 1,000 continuing education courses, along with four dedicated, award-winning areas of research and capacity for new and emerging research. Curriculum and research priorities are developed through industry partnerships to ensure graduates have the skills and knowledge required to fulfill the demand for talent. SAIT is honoured to be recognized by Mediacorp Canada Inc. as one of Alberta’s Top Employers for 2024, and to be ranked fourth by Research Infosource Inc. in the Top 50 Research Colleges in Canada for 2024. CEOWORLD Magazine ranked the SAIT School of Business #49 on the list of Best Business Schools in the World for 2024, and the School of Hospitality and Tourism placed #14 on their list of Best Hospitality and Hotel Management Schools in the World for 2024.
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SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.