Tunisia – Airbus Flight Academy (AFA) and The Aviator Institute (TAI), formerly Safe Flight Academy, have signed a partnership agreement during the 2025 Dubai Airshow to introduce the Airbus ab initio pilot-training programme in Tunisia. The collaboration marks the first Airbus Flight Academy network partnership in Africa and the Middle East, expanding Airbus’ global training footprint and supporting long-term pilot-supply requirements across the region.

• Under the agreement, Airbus will align TAI’s operational standards, instructor training, and facilities with its latest ab initio training framework.

• The first cadets are expected to begin training in March 2026, with a planned ramp-up enabling TAI to train more than 80 cadets per year.

• TAI operates from Tunis and Monastir, leveraging favourable year-round weather and more than 15 years of flight-training experience.

• The academy’s fleet of Diamond DA40 and DA42 aircraft, combined with advanced simulators and modern facilities, provides an infrastructure suited to Airbus’ airline-ready ab initio training model.

Statements

• “Becoming Airbus Flight Academy network’s partner is a recognition of the quality and maturity of our training model… This collaboration accelerates our ambition to position Tunisia as a regional aviation hub and to offer young talents a direct pathway to the cockpit.” Anis Faidi, CEO, The Aviator Institute.

• “Through this collaboration… we continue to expand our ability to serve both airline customers training their cadets and individual aspiring pilots pursuing a self-sponsored path to the cockpit.” Laurent Negre, Vice President, Customer Services, Airbus Africa and Middle East.

• “The Tunisian flight school brings its 15 years of experience to build the right competencies in order to graduate airline-ready pilots. It contributes to continuously enhance safety through a greater quality of training, which are the core objectives of our ab initio training. Operating from Tunis and Monastir, TAI will deliver the Airbus Pilot Cadet Training Programme (ATPi) using its modern fleet and high-end facilities. Thank you very much Anis Faidi for your trust, we know we can count on you and the The Aviator Institute team for the future!” stated Thomas Aoudia.

Source: Airbus
Photo Credit: Safe Flight Academy