German Air Force Selects Lufthansa Aviation Training for 2027 Initial Flight Training

Germany – Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT) will take responsibility for Initial Flight Training (IFT) for around 50 German Air Force pilot candidates from February 1, 2027, delivering the program at its Rostock-Laage flight training base using Diamond DA40 NG single-engine aircraft. The program will combine theoretical instruction, visual flight training, Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) and solo flying, with LAT drawing on instructors including former German Air Force jet pilots.

• LAT will use Diamond DA40 NG single-engine training aircraft at Rostock-Laage. European Flight Academy's current published fleet includes seven DA40 NG aircraft across Rostock-Laage and Grenchen, together with 14 Diamond DA42s, 25 Cirrus SR20s and four Grob G120s.
• LAT's Rostock-Laage operation currently supports the multi-engine and instrument phase of European Flight Academy training. EFA students complete complex multi-engine aircraft and simulator training there before the CPL/IR practical examination, while LAT's wider published training infrastructure also includes five DA42 Flight Navigation Procedure Trainers located between Rostock-Laage and Zurich.
• The military training location is adjacent to Tactical Air Force Wing 73 "Steinhoff", the German Air Force unit responsible for training its Eurofighter pilots as well as Eurofighter pilots from the Austrian Armed Forces. The Bundeswehr currently lists 35 Eurofighters at the Laage-based wing.
• LAT said a large proportion of the instructors supporting the IFT program previously served as German Air Force jet pilots, providing military operational experience within the initial flying phase.
• LAT already provides several military training services for the Bundeswehr. German Navy P-8A Poseidon pilots began training at LAT's Berlin-Schönefeld center in November 2025, where LAT provides a six-week Boeing 737 type-rating programme in cooperation with US-based ASEC as preparation for subsequent P-8A qualification. LAT also states that it trains German Air Force remotely piloted aircraft personnel at Rostock and Bundeswehr helicopter crews.
• Lufthansa Group and the Bundeswehr have maintained a pilot-training relationship spanning more than 60 years, according to LAT and the German Air Force.

Statements

• “Wir freuen uns über das Vertrauen der Deutschen Luftwaffe in unsere Schulungskompetenz. Die fliegerische Grundausbildung ist ein wichtiger Beitrag zur Einsatzbereitschaft der Bundeswehr – gerade vor dem Hintergrund der sicherheitspolitischen Zeitenwende. Wir freuen uns, damit die Luftwaffe zu unterstützen und unsere bewährte Partnerschaft weiter auszubauen.” said Matthias Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa Aviation Training.
• “Die Luftwaffe und die Lufthansa verbindet eine mehr als 60-jährige Partnerschaft im Bereich der Schulung und Ausbildung der Piloten der Luftwaffe. Wir freuen uns, dass wir diese professionelle Zusammenarbeit jetzt am Standort Rostock-Laage für das Jahr 2027 fortsetzen.” said Brigadier General Henrik Scholz, Head of Development at German Air Force Command.
• “Mit diesem Vertragsabschluss konnten wir, das Bundeswehr-Dienstleistungszentrum Berlin als Team hinter der Truppe, unseren Beitrag dazu leisten, dass die Ausbildung der zukünftigen Pilotinnen und Piloten der Luftwaffe sichergestellt ist und diese somit ihren Auftrag der Landes- und Bündnisverteidigung erfüllen können.” said Frank Ringhof, Head of the Bundeswehr Service Centre Berlin.

About Lufthansa Aviation Training
Lufthansa Aviation Training GmbH is the Lufthansa Group's flight and cabin crew training organisation, headquartered at Munich Airport and operating across ten training locations worldwide. LAT states that it employs around 800 people, serves more than 250 airline customers and operates close to 200 training devices encompassing training aircraft, flight simulators and cabin emergency and service training equipment. LAT consolidates the Lufthansa Group's flight schools under the European Flight Academy brand. EFA's current published aircraft fleet includes seven Diamond DA40 NGs, 14 Diamond DA42s, 25 Cirrus SR20s and four Grob G120s, supported by five DA42 FNPTs and three SR20 FNPTs alongside access to LAT's broader full-flight simulator and FTD network.

Source: Lufthansa Aviation Training