The GCAA entered into a tri-partite agreement with Airbus and the European Academy for Aviation Safety (EAFAS) for the exclusive rights to host aviation safety-related training within the GCC states conducted by EAFAS. This agreement is the first such commitment made by EAFAS world-wide and is all the more important since EAFAS has been designated as the exclusive training provider for the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) requirements.
  
The FSS Directorate recruits candidates with extensive field operational experience in either flight operations (ATPL License) or aviation maintenance (AME License). This field experience is a vital pre-requisite in order for the Inspector-in-Training to have the necessary industry credibility. The GCAA then commences an extensive cross-over training programme as outlined in the FSS Procedures Manual inclusive of relevant Inspector Courses, Accident Investigation, Air Law, Safety Management Systems, Recurrent Training and a host of other courses including extensive OJT conducted by a qualified GCAA Inspector.

The rapid expansion of this directorate led to the recruitment and training of UAE nationals in the Flight Operations, Airworthiness and Safety and Security disciplines. Unlike the Air Traffic Controller training scheme, nationals had to have extensive field experience such as pilots or aircraft maintenance engineers in order to be cross-trained as Civil Aviation Inspectors. The training scheme follows a matrix of skills required for Inspectors that are acquired by both internal on-job-training (OJT) techniques and external courses offered by world renowned institutes operated or sanctioned by ICAO, IATA, EASA, JAA, FAA and the leading CAAs worldwide.  This successful emiratisation endeavor is reflected by a 70.5 % nationalization rate of the department’s total personnel.