Asian Airline Divest Flight School in 2025

Maldives - Island Aviation Services Ltd (IASL), the state-owned parent company of national carrier Maldivian, has completed the sale and transfer of its flight training academy to a newly established private operator — Zenith Aviation Academy (ZAA). The move concludes IASL’s gradual exit from direct training operations and marks a new chapter for pilot education in the Maldives.

• Zenith Aviation Academy has officially received Approved Training Organization (ATO) certification from the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to conduct EASA Part-FCL pilot training, becoming the newest certified flight school in the country.
• The transfer follows a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) process led by the Ministry of Transport, during which IASL cited the financial and operational complexities of managing a flight academy under an airline structure.
• The new entity, led by Managing Director Sandeep Kumar, includes shareholders Atoll Consultancy Pvt Ltd and Simplify Holdings Group Limited, with Ismail Rasheed serving as Chief Operating Officer and Smitha Hegdi as a board member.
• The transition concludes a decade-long evolution in Addu City’s flight training sector. Training first began with Asian Academy of Aeronautics (AAA), a Sri Lankan-operated school that closed following operational difficulties, and later continued under Maldivian Aviation Academy (MAA) — a joint venture between IASL and Maldives National University (MNU) launched in 2022.
• ZAA is authorized to offer Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) theory, and Instrument Rating (IR) courses, serving both local and international cadets.
• Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen noted that the transfer ensures continuity in aviation education while fostering private investment and competitive standards in training infrastructure.

Source: Maldives Civil Aviation Authority; Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation; Island Aviation Services Ltd; Zenith Aviation Academy