Canadian aviation training giant CAE is considering closing its simulator center at Brussels Airport, a move that would significantly affect Brussels Airlines and its pilots. The facility, shared with TUI fly Belgium and other operators, is central to the recurrent training of crews based in Belgium. **A key training tool under threat** The Brussels CAE center currently hosts recurrent simulator sessions for many Brussels Airlines pilots, who must regularly validate their skills to maintain qualifications. Its location on the airport site minimizes travel, reduces costs, and offers flexibility in training scheduling. According to internal communications, CAE has launched an information and consultation procedure for a possible closure by year-end, as reported by Dutch-language daily De Tijd. The Canadian company cites "structurally too high costs relative to revenues generated" to justify the potential closure. An internal document notes that "CAE Brussels operates at a limited scale, long-term demand for various simulators is insufficient, and no revenue prospects allow maintaining activities on this site." **Relocation of training abroad** If the center closes, Brussels Airlines would have to redeploy pilot training to other CAE sites, such as Amsterdam or Madrid. Crews would need to travel for several days for their sessions, increasing transport, accommodation, and time-away-from-base costs. For Brussels Airlines, which is pursuing fleet and network growth, losing a local training facility would be an operational setback. The Lufthansa Group subsidiary recently invested with Lufthansa Aviation Training in a new cabin crew training center near the airport to consolidate training and improve efficiency. **Pilot pressure and complex scheduling** In the short term, the announcement creates uncertainty among crews who regularly use the Brussels Airport simulators. Pilots must adhere to a strict schedule of checks and recurrent training mandated by European regulations, with little flexibility on deadlines. Any disruption could strain planning and increase stress. **A blow to training hub ambitions** Beyond social and industrial aspects, this threat undermines the ambition to make Brussels Airport a regional training hub for pilots and crews. Losing the CAE center would reduce local simulator availability at a time when Brussels Airlines is recruiting new pilots and developing partnerships with flight schools like Skywings Flight Training. Belgian Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet has asked CAE for guarantees and a detailed viability analysis of the Brussels site. He is exploring support options to maintain training capacity in Belgium, aware of the stakes for airlines and their crews. No final decision has been made, but for Brussels Airlines and its pilots, the future of the CAE center is a strategic issue that will shape crew training organization in the coming years.