AELO Swiss Academy Expands Airline Training Activity in 2026

Switzerland – Locarno-based Approved Training Organisation AELO Swiss Academy has reported more than 150 ATPL student enrolments during 2026 and is projecting approximately Euro 15 million (US$17.1 million) in revenue for the year, following a two-year expansion across aircraft, facilities, airline partnerships and training capacity.

• AELO states that more than 150 Airline Transport Pilot Licence students have enrolled during 2026. The academy’s Integrated ATPL pathway comprises approximately 1,000 hours of theoretical instruction and 220 flight-training hours, with an advertised duration of approximately 18 months.
• The academy’s airline-linked activity now includes SWISS cadet flight training, flight training for Air France cadets through cooperation with France’s ENAC, an MPL program with SkyAlps and a pathway arrangement with NEOS. AELO also works with Dutch training organisation EPST on cadets progressing toward airline recruitment.
• AELO’s operating capacity has expanded alongside enrolment. AFM reported that the academy phased in 10 additional aircraft during the first eight months of 2026 — two Tecnam P2008s, three Diamond DA20s, four DA40s and one DA42 — increasing the training fleet to 34 aircraft.
• Aircraft flight activity reached approximately 1,810 hours in August 2026, up around 129% from approximately 791 hours in August 2025. When simulator activity is included, AELO recorded 2,283 total training hours during August, of which more than 1,462 hours related to Integrated ATPL training.
• Further fleet expansion is already scheduled. Nine additional Diamond DA20 aircraft are planned to join the operation, with four expected by December 2026 and the remaining five during the first quarter of 2027. AELO is also increasing capacity at its Lugano and Cuneo satellite bases.
• The growth follows infrastructure investment at Locarno Airport, where AELO opened a new approximately 2,000-square-metre training complex in October 2025 incorporating simulator bays, classrooms, briefing facilities, hangar capacity and student accommodation.
• AFM previously reported that AELO recorded 8,421 commercial flight hours during the first seven months of 2026, almost 50% above the comparable 2025 period, while additional VFR and IFR instructors, planners and student-support personnel were recruited as aircraft utilisation increased.

Statements

“The demand for airline-ready pilots across Europe has grown considerably, and the standards associated with Swiss training have resonated with both students and airline partners,” said Jaime Ordovas, Business Development Director at AELO Swiss Academy. 

About AELO Swiss Academy
AELO Swiss Academy is a Swiss Approved Training Organisation based at Locarno Airport and operating under approval CH.ATO.0311, providing Integrated ATPL and airline-linked professional pilot training. Its training fleet reached 34 aircraft during 2026 across Diamond and Tecnam platforms, supported by operations at Locarno and satellite training activity in Lugano and Cuneo.

Source: AELO Swiss Academy