South Africa's 43 Air School Welcomes New Intake of 14 Student Pilots in March 2026

South Africa - 43 Air School, a flight school based in Port Alfred, South Africa has welcomed a new intake of 14 private pilot students as part of its March 2026 cohort, reinforcing ongoing demand for ab initio pilot training.

Earlier this month AFM reported that 43 Air School, the largest integrated flight training organisation in Southern Africa, had announced a major infrastructure expansion at its flagship Port Alfred campus that will increase pilot training capacity by 40%. The project, announced on 9 March 2026, is currently 80% complete, with full commissioning expected by June 2026.

• The aircraft fleet at Port Alfred will increase to 70 aircraft, enhancing training throughput and operational flexibility to meet growing international demand.
• A fourth parallel runway will be added to the Port Alfred facility, bringing the campus total to six runways and further supporting the increased flight activity generated by the expanded fleet.
• The aircraft maintenance division has been expanded by an additional 2,000 square metres of workspace, materially increasing engineering capacity and aircraft readiness to support the larger training operation.
• Two new flight simulators are being commissioned as part of the expansion, including the ALSIM ALX, reinforcing the academy's advanced simulation training capability across the full training spectrum from PPL to MCC.
• Student accommodation is being expanded by 60 rooms, bringing total on-campus capacity to 450 rooms. Campus facilities including canteen and social areas are also being upgraded.
• A recruitment and training drive is underway for 30 additional flight instructors, which will bring the ab initio instructor team to approximately 75 dedicated instructors upon completion.

Source: 43 Air School