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World Aviation Training Summit (WATS)

The largest aviation training conference in the world. Three days of plenaries, breakouts, and an exhibit floor focused on pilot, cabin crew, maintenance, and helicopter training across airline, ATO, and military operations.

May 5–7, 2026Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, Orlando, United States~1,500 attendees

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What to expect

WATS runs three parallel tracks (pilot, maintenance, cabin) plus dedicated streams for ATO/Part 141 leadership and rotary-wing training. The exhibit floor brings together every major training device manufacturer (CAE, FlightSafety, FRASCA, Redbird, ALSIM), training-tech vendors, and major airline training centers. Expect deep technical sessions on EBT (Evidence-Based Training), CBTA, AQP, MPL, and the FAA-EASA regulatory landscape — the depth that smaller training events can't match. WATS is also the single best place to meet airline training-department decision-makers if you run an ATPL/MPL pipeline school. Side meetings happen in the lobby and on the patio more than they do in the sessions.

Quick facts

Dates

May 5–7, 2026

Location

Rosen Shingle Creek Resort
Orlando, United States

Estimated attendance

~1,500

Exhibitors

~90

Registration

from USD 1,500 full pass

Languages

Regulatory focus

FAA

Also known as

WATS, World Aviation Training Summit, WATS Orlando, WATS 2026

Who attends

Heads of training and chief pilots from airlines, ATO and Part 141 leadership, simulator and training-device manufacturers, training-software vendors, regulatory observers from FAA and EASA, and a growing contingent of large flight schools building airline pipeline relationships.

Why flight schools attend

WATS is the central event for any flight school running pipeline-pace CPL/ATPL training that places graduates into airline programs. The ATO/Part 141 leadership track speaks directly to operations questions — instructor pipeline, syllabus modernization, simulator integration, EBT/CBTA adoption — that flight school leadership needs to think about. Even small Part 141 operators benefit from one or two days of immersion in how the largest training organizations are evolving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — even a single day in the ATO/Part 141 leadership track and on the exhibit floor exposes a small flight school to syllabus, training-device, and operational thinking from the largest training organizations in the world. The cost-benefit improves dramatically if you're building airline pipeline relationships.

WATS is the global event held in Orlando in May, dominated by US and Asian attendance with strong international representation. EATS is the European edition held in early November (2026 in Cascais, Portugal), dominated by EASA-regulated ATOs and European airlines. The agendas overlap by about 60% — most major operators send people to both.

WATS 2026 runs 5-7 May 2026 at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando. Confirmed dates and registration are published via wats-event.com.

Related events

Cascais, Portugal