FlyIAA and AUIB Welcome First Flight Training Cohort in Iraq in September 2026

Iraq – Intercontinental Aviation Academy (FlyIAA) and the American University of Iraq – Baghdad (AUIB) have welcomed the first student cohort under their joint aviation education partnership. The group, designated the Tomcat Batch 2026, has started the Fundamentals of Aviation program at AUIB's Center of Excellence for Innovation and Development in Baghdad as the first stage of a pathway that can progress into professional pilot training at FlyIAA's international flight bases.

• FlyIAA and AUIB established their partnership in September 2025, initially identifying Fundamentals of Aviation as the first course to be delivered through AUIB's CEID in Baghdad. The agreement was designed to provide an academic entry point in Iraq before students progress into more advanced aviation training.
• FlyIAA describes its Iraq operation as a ground-school base. Students undertake foundational theory and simulator exposure at AUIB before transitioning to FlyIAA flight-training locations in the UAE, Lebanon, Cyprus or Greece for practical aircraft training.
• The September intake follows FlyIAA and AUIB's first aviation Open Day in Iraq, which introduced prospective students to the program, aviation career pathways and simulator activity.
• AUIB lists Intercontinental Aviation Academy among the formal partners of its Center of Excellence for Innovation and Development. The partnership places the Baghdad-based academic and ground-training component within an existing university professional-development structure.
• FlyIAA currently reports more than 350 cadets from over 40 nationalities across its wider operation, supported by more than 25 aircraft and simulators across five training locations. These are organisation-wide figures and should not be interpreted as resources based in Iraq.

Source: FlyIAA