Commercial pilot training unit drives profit beat at Canada's CAE

Canada’s CAE Inc, the world’s largest civil aviation training company, on Friday reported a better-than-expected profit, driven by strength in its commercial pilot training and simulators business. CAE is inking deals to train pilots for airlines like easyjet, as air traffic rises. Both CAE and US-based Textron’s TRU training division are also seeing an increase in demand for flight simulators after Boeing earlier this year recommended that airline pilots retrain before flying the grounded 737 MAX plane, which is being fixed by the planemaker for a software problem. Revenue in CAE’s civil aviation training business jumped about 22% to C$558.1m in Q3 ended Dec. 31. CAE reaffirmed its full-year outlook for 30% growth in operating income in the civil aviation training business.<br/>