FIREFIGHTERS from Portugal have been learning new skills at a North-East training centre of excellence.

Newcastle Airport Fire Training Academy was selected to work with Falck SCI Portugal to equip firefighters from Lisbon Airport with technical and practical skills.

The Training Academy has more than 20 years of experience working with international businesses. It is a world-class facility delivering training, both practical and classroom based, across a range of sectors. Training equipment includes a 767 aircraft fire simulator, Super Puma helicopter, helipad, fire screen and oil, gas and marine training facilities.

Personnel from Lisbon also attended a Crew Commanders programme in Newcastle, to develop command and control skills using a virtual reality simulator and then enhance their knowledge, understanding and skills on the fireground taking charge of a range of aircraft related incident scenarios.

Tim Oakes, training academy manager at Newcastle Airport, said: "As well as our work with other airports, we also offer a significant amount of training for businesses across a range of sectors.

“To support this project with Lisbon Airport we sent members of the Fire Training Academy to Portugal to assist, assess and verify training which is delivered in country. The team also undertook practical training at the Fire Training Academy.

“We are dedicated to providing high quality training across a variety of sectors to ensure the knowledge and skills we have here at Newcastle is shared with learners. Aviation is a unique environment and it’s vital that those working in the sector have access to quality training programmes.”

This is not the first time that the Training Academy have been involved with firefighters from Portugal, last year 30 firefighters from Faro Airport attended an aviation firefighting course and it has been working with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) to explore other overseas markets.

Chris Graham, UKTI's International Trade Adviser for Medium-Sized Businesses, who has been working closely with the airport, said: "We're delighted that Newcastle Airport Fire Training Academy has been successful in its bid to win this latest overseas contract.

"We look forward to continue working with the airport and hope its success will inspire others to follow in its footsteps and take up the exporting for growth challenge.

"A new package of support was announced in the Autumn Statement to help small and medium-sized businesses take their first steps into export with £20m of funding in 2015-16.

"It will mean UKTI's International Trade Advisers will be able to offer more help to first time exporters, helps others already exporting break into new markets and keeps the North-East focussed on the 2020 Export Challenge set by the Government."