As we've reached the mid-way point of 2023, we wanted to reflect on where the industry is, and what Symbiotics has achieved this year to date.
Last year's predictions for the Aviation Industry were largely upbeat, and it's been gratifying to see that many of these predictions have come to fruition. Most countries are now welcoming overseas visitors once again, without requiring Covid testing or quarantine, as the world has started to treat Covid as an endemic disease, rather than a pandemic. Passenger demand has continued to surge, with sustainability, the road map to net-zero emissions by 2050, and pilot shortage remaining key topics for the industry. Alongside this, evolving areas such as Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) are rapidly developing.
So far in 2023, we've had the opportunity to meet many new faces at several events and conferences including Pilot Expo Berlin, ERA Regional Conference, WATS, EBACE, the Flight Global Safety Forum and Pilot Careers Live (North).
We've also been delighted to welcome 21 new clients on board, as well as 7 new affiliates/channel partners within our network. Our partners work with us to promote best practice testing and assessment within the aviation industry. If you would like some information on how to join our network of channel partners, then please contact us.
One of the most recent developments our psychology team has been involved in, is creating a solution to support compliance with the new DGCA Medical Circular 01 of 2023. To be compliant with the DGCA's Medical Circular, the Pilot or ATCO assessment needs to be validated and either directly performed by, or overseen by, a clinical psychologist who has relevant knowledge of the aviation operating environment. The psychological assessment services we provide, consisting of online testing and, where applicable, supporting services provided by our psychology team, are validated, and overseen by our registered senior psychologists who have appropriate knowledge in aviation.
As a UK-based organisation, the psychological assessment services we provide, consisting of online testing and, where applicable, supporting services are overseen by Occupational and Aviation Psychologists, and have been well-received by our Indian clients as an acceptable solution to oversight requirements of the DGCA medical circular. Find out more.
This rapidly progressing aviation market, widely recognised with the development of novel eVTOL passenger aircraft, will bring new challenges to personnel involved, be it pilots on-board, remote pilots, or other critical individuals. Working with research partners, we are exploring the competencies required of individuals in this field and how to effectively assess them, especially conscious of the complexities presented by the diversity of pilot backgrounds and experience, and the novelty of the operating environment.
The first half of 2023 has seen us expanding our team at Symbiotics, whilst ensuring you continue to receive the dedicated support and customer services you have come to expect from us. This year we've welcomed Kristian Payne, our new Product Owner, as well as growing our sales team to bring onboard Shanthi Adiyat, our new Business Development Consultant.
Kristian Payne
Kristian has been a Product Owner for 5 years and has worked across various industries, bringing with him a wealth of experience in ownership of differing web and ecommerce platforms. As Product Owner, Kristian is responsible for Symbiotics' Product roadmap and development, as well as the project management for our ADAPT development plan.
Shanthi Adiyat
Shanthi brings with her over 25 years of international aviation experience and is passionate about crew training and the benefits of aptitude testing, particularly for the selection of cadet pilots. Her experience spans various areas of Pilot and Cabin Crew Training including Business Development and Sales, Customer Relations, Resource and Contract Management, Pilot Training Programme development, and the implementation of Flight Crew Training and Learning Management Systems. As Business Development Consultant, Shanti is responsible for creating and executing the company's strategic sales and business development plans for ATOs and Flight Schools globally, as well as contributing to marketing and product development strategy and activities.
Several of our Psychology team have been spending time to further increase their knowledge and skill set, with several new qualifications gained amongst the team including:
Laura Buffin: has successfully completed her Post Graduate Diploma in Human Factors in Aviation (PGDip).
Emma Akhurst: has been awarded the accreditation of Chartered Psychologist (CPyschol) with the British Psychological Society (BPS). This title reflects only the highest standard of psychological knowledge and expertise.
2023 has proved to be a fantastic year for events, where we've enjoyed hearing from our industry peers, as well as meeting a variety of new and existing clients face to face. We've also had the pleasure of speaking at February's Pilot Expo, with upcoming slots at APATS and EATS in August and November.
We're looking forward to attending and exhibiting at several events in the second half of the year. It you're planning to be at any of these, please don't hesitate to get in contact to book a catch-up with our team:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| APATS | 29-30th August, Singapore |
| Air Charter Expo | 12th September, London |
| Regional Airlines Association Conference | 26-27th September, Washington |
| AAM Expo | 26-27th September, London |
| ERA General Assembly | 10th-12th October, Austria |
| Airlines 2023 | 20th November, London |
| EATS | 8-9th November, Portugal |
| Dubai Air Show | 12th-16th November, Dubai |
As we head into the final half of the year, we're delighted to say we have some exciting developments planned throughout the course of H2 as we continue to embrace cutting edge technology and new industry developments. Keep an eye on our social media channels and news pages for further information. If you want any further information on anything we've mentioned above, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
