Global aviation training leader CAE will showcase its innovative eye tracking technology for air traffic services (ATS) training at Airspace World 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal. CAE is studying the technology, which is proven for pilot training and has been adapted for ATS training, as a way to better understand how trainees scan, process, and respond to dynamic radar environments. This technology is one of many elements in CAE’s advanced end-to-end training ecosystem that is being explored to elevate the company’s ATS training quality, enable scalable delivery, and ensure operational readiness in rapidly evolving airspace environments. CAE’s integration of eye tracking technology for ATS is on display at stand H2670 at Airspace World.
“As Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP) accelerate their modernization efforts with airspace improvements including Trajectory Based Operations (TBO), improved infrastructure and new technologies to meet current and future demand for air traffic services, it is critical that equal emphasis be placed on training innovation,” said Marie-Christine Cloutier, Vice President – Strategy, Performance & Marketing at CAE and Head of CAE’s new Air Traffic Services division. “We need to prepare the next generation of air traffic personnel and ensure ANSPs are future ready with high-quality training programs and adequate training capacity. CAE’s turnkey expertise in competency-based training design, advanced instructional delivery, and data-driven technologies can support ANSPs in this transformation.”
The interactive demonstration puts users in a realistic, real-time operational environment where eye tracking analytics can assess trainee focus, scanning behaviour, and response prioritization under pressure.
“Unlike traditional training methods, CAE’s eye tracking technology enables data-driven insights into an ATS trainee’s situational awareness, decision-making, and workload management — critical factors for training performance,” said Emmanuel Levitte, CAE’s Chief Technology and Product Officer. ”This technology goes beyond observation — it gives instructors measurable feedback to support personalized learning pathways, improve retention, and build stronger operational habits from day one. It’s another example of how CAE’s proven innovation from the pilot training domain could be adapted for ATS training and to the complexity and pace of air traffic management.”
CAE trains pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians, cabin crew, and since last October, in a partnership with NAV CANADA, air traffic controllers and flight service specialists (referred to as aerodrome flight information service, or AFIS, in other countries). CAE and NAV CANADA announced their partnership in April 2024. A mere six months later, CAE’s first ATS Training Centre opened on its campus in Montreal, Canada, and welcomed its first students. Just over a year after announcing its launch into ATS training, CAE has successfully trained seven cohorts of air traffic controllers and flight service specialists who have completed their basic training. These students have now transferred to NAV CANADA to complete Specialty and On the Job Training (OJT).
CAE has extensive experience and a strong understanding of global regulatory requirements, enabling the expansion of Approved Training Organizations across various authorities. The company intends to leverage its existing global footprint of over 70 civil aviation training facilities on five continents and expand its infrastructure to incorporate ATS training wherever there is demand.
