In August 2024, European aircraft manufacturer Airbus:
AFM Team Note – kindly contact us for a detailed Excel breakdown of orders and deliveries by airline.
Source: Airbus
Photo Credit: Airbus
Nelson Aviation College officially welcomed its August 2024 intake of students with a successful orientation day. The large new cohort was introduced to the college environment and faculty members, enjoying a BBQ lunch as part of the event.
1978 established New Zealand flight training organisation Nelson Aviation College, offers a wide range of courses including Private Pilot License, Commercial Pilot License, Basic Gas Turbine, and Instrument Rating, and back in October 2023 Nelson Aviation College shared that it had partnered with flight simulator manufacturer True Course Simulations (TCS) and took delivery of the flight school’s first TCS Immersive Training Device (ITD).
Source:Nelson Aviation College
Photo Credit:Nelson Aviation College
The Fiji Airways Aviation Academy (FJAA) is saving Fiji Airways over $US10 million ($F22.7m) in training bills annually, as revealed by Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO Andre Viljoen in the airline’s 2023 annual report, which was tabled in Parliament last week.
“FJAA, equipped with Airbus A330 and Boeing 737 MAX full-flight simulators, has been a game-changer for the company since its inception three years ago,” Mr. Viljoen said.
“The academy has significantly enhanced our capabilities in pilot certification, type rating, and career progression, while also providing substantial third-party revenue. All pilot competency and promotional training is now performed locally, saving us more than US$10 million in training costs, shortening training timelines, and raising pilot competency standards.”
“This significant cost-saving measure has allowed the airline to reinvest in other critical areas of our operations, further enhancing our overall efficiency and performance.”
Fiji Airways is currently implementing phase two of the academy’s expansion, with $49 million spent on it in 2023. The total expansion cost is estimated at $130 million and includes the acquisition of an Airbus A350 full-flight simulator and an ATR full-flight simulator.
“FJAA is critical to our current and future national pilot progression plans. Since being granted approval to conduct type ratings, Fiji Airways has completed 62 promotional movements for our national pilot group, with additional courses in progress,” Mr. Viljoen added.
FJAA is also a key component of the airline’s gender sensitivity agenda, with its team of trainers now including 15 female pilots. “We are also proud to highlight that our team now includes 15 accomplished female pilots. “This milestone reflects our commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within our workforce. By empowering talented women to pursue and excel in aviation careers, we are not only enriching our team but also setting a positive example for the industry,” Mr. Viljoen said.
Before the academy’s establishment, Fiji Airways crew had to travel abroad to Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand for training. Three years on, FJAA has built a strong reputation and is now receiving interest from other international airlines, according to the annual report.
Source: Fiji Airways
Photo Credit: Fiji Airways (shown as meta image)
Beloit, Wis. / Bristol, England / Tel Aviv, Israel – September 4, 2024 – Comply365, LLC (“Comply365”), a leading global provider of compliance and safety management solutions for the aviation, rail and defense industries, announced the acquisition of Qualtero Limited (“Qualtero”), a leading provider of solutions to optimize civil and military aviation training operations. The acquisition will create a leading global all-in-one compliance, safety and training platform for peak operational performance serving the aviation, defense and rail industries with over 140 customers located in over 30 countries on six continents. Terms of the transaction were not announced.
In January 2024, Insight Partners, a global software investor, and Liberty Hall Capital Partners (“Liberty Hall”), a private equity firm focused exclusively on investments in businesses serving the global aerospace and defense industry, announced a strategic growth investment in Comply365 in connection with Comply365’s merger with VistairLimited (“Vistair”). The acquisition of Qualtero represents Comply365’s first acquisition since its merger with Vistair.
Commenting on the acquisition of Qualtero, Tom Samuel, Vice Chairman, and Rob Morgan, CEO, of Comply365 said, “We are delighted to welcome the Qualtero team into the Comply365 family. Qualtero is a world-renowned provider of innovative training and qualification management solutions for civil and military aviation, with a stellar global customer base. This acquisition brings together complementary product lines and talent, further bolstering our ability to deliver a unique value proposition to our customers by connecting the dots between operational content management, safety management, training management, and data analytics.”
Barak Kirmayer, CEO of Qualtero said, “The acquisition of Qualtero by Comply365 marks a significant milestone in Qualtero’s journey. We see immense synergy between the companies’ solutions and teams, and with the support of Comply365, we are poised to deliver even greater value and more innovative products to our combined customers.”
Henry Frankievich, Managing Director at Insight Partners said, “The acquisition of Qualtero is a natural extension of Comply365’s strategy to create a comprehensive compliance and safety platform serving the global aviation, defense and rail industries. We believe that the addition of Qualtero’s widely respected training and qualifications management capabilities will enable our customers to achieve the highest levels of operational excellence. We look forward to continuing to work with Liberty Hall to support Comply365 in their continued growth.”
James Black, Partner at Liberty Hall Capital Partners added, “With the acquisition of Qualtero, Comply365 extends the value proposition it offers to airlines, defense and rail organizations by expanding its capacity to power operational excellence with a leading training management offering. Along with our partners at Insight, we look forward to supporting Comply365’s continued growth, combining the strengths and expertise of both organizations to deliver even greater value to our collective customers.”
Legal advice to Comply365 was provided by Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Goldfarb Gross Seligman. Qualtero was advised by DLA Piper and Barnea Jaffa Lande & Co.
About Comply365
Comply365 is a leading provider of Operational Content Management, Safety Management and Training Management in the highly regulated industries of aviation, defense and rail. Comply365 provides a powerful combination of expertise and products underpinned by unified best practices, providing airlines, rail and defense organizations with a single digital platform to elevate operational excellence, transform safety management and training, with closer integration of relevant data sets across domains.By empowering airline, rail and defense organizations with an all-in-one compliance, safety, training and data platform, Comply365 ensures their crews and assets always geared for peak operational performance, unlocking unparalleled financial and operational gains through more streamlined, robust and agile operations. Comply365 is the trusted technology partner of many of the most progressive aviation and defenseorganizations worldwide with a global customer base of over 120 airlines, defense and rail organizations.
About Qualtero
Qualtero is a premier provider of training management solutions, empowering organizations to deliver impactful training experiences that drive compliance performance and growth. Qualtero specializes in developing innovative solutions for optimizing commercial and military aviation training operations. Its flagship products include Fox, a comprehensive Training Management System, and Qualtero EQMS, the most modern Qualification Management System. These tools help aviation training organizations of all sizes streamline processes, reduce costs, and enhance throughput.Qualtero’s team of talented and experienced professionals employ proven methodologies to ensure complete customer success, continuously enhancing its solutions with the latest technology to meet their evolving needs.
About Insight Partners
Insight Partners is a global software investor partnering with high-growth technology, software, and Internet startup and ScaleUp companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. As of December 31, 2023, the firm has over $80B in regulatory assets under management. Insight Partners has invested in more than 800 companies worldwide and has seen over 55 portfolio companies achieve an IPO. Headquartered in New York City, Insight has offices in London, Tel Aviv and the Bay Area. Insight’s mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with tailored, hands-on software expertise along their growth journey, from their first investment to IPO.
About Liberty Hall
Liberty Hall Capital Partners is a private equity firm focused exclusively on investments in businesses serving the global aerospace and defense industry. Liberty Hall’s principals have a 25-plus year history of working together and have led the investment of over $2.5 billion in equity capital in over 25 businesses serving multiple segments of the aerospace and defense industry. Liberty Hall was founded in July 2011 as the first, and remains the only, private equity firm focused solely on investments in middle market businesses serving the aerospace and defense industry. Liberty Hall executes a proven and repeatable investment strategy designed to transform middle market businesses into larger, more capable and diverse strategic assets.
Source: Qualtero
Photo Credit: Qualtero
Global flight training group Airways Aviation, which operates pilot training academies across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and India has shared that its Australia base of operations Airways Aviation Australia has welcomed 6 new students to its Commercial Pilot License (CPL) program in August 2024.
In August 2024 Airways Aviation Australia shared that it will be expanding its training aircraft fleet as it signed a purchase agreement for a Diamond DA42 aircraft from Utility Air.
Source: Airways Aviation Australia
Photo Credit: Airways Aviation
Global flight training group Airways Aviation, which operates pilot training academies across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and India has shared that its Australia base of operations Airways Aviation Australia has launched the AVI50419 Diploma of Aviation (Flight Instructor), aimed at those looking to advance their flying careers by becoming certified flight instructors.
In August 2024 Airways Aviation Australia shared that it will be expanding its training aircraft fleet as it signed a purchase agreement for a Diamond DA42 aircraft from Utility Air.
Source: Airways Aviation Australia
Photo Credit: Airways Aviation Australia
One of Australia’s largest airline operators Virgin Australia is looking for a Pilot Training Lead for E190-E2 Project as of September 2024. Please see an extract of the job post below.
“VARA operates out of Perth Airport and has a fleet of F100 and A320 aircraft that predominantly conduct charter operations throughout regional Western Australia. VARA is on a growth path and has a strong focus on supporting their major clients in the mining industry – the future is exciting!
The VARA Flight Operations Training and Standards Division plays a crucial role in this expansion by managing, overseeing, and controlling flight crew standards to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant flight operations. The division is responsible for training and assessing crew members to meet the defined company competency standards and ensuring they maintain this level of proficiency.
About the role
As the Pilot Training Lead you will be responsible for the development and implementation of a comprehensive training plan in alignment with CASA regulations and company policies. You work closely with the Program Manager and Head of Training and Standards (HOTS) to oversee all aspects of training operations, ensuring that the new fleet’s entry into service (EIS) is both efficient and effective. You will be based in Perth and report through to the VARA Head of Flight Operations/Program Manager.
You will use your Aviation experience to design and adapt training plans for all crew members, investigate and resolve training incidents, and contribute to the continuous improvement of policies, procedures, and systems.
What you’ll be doing:
You’ll be great in this role if you have:
To learn more about this role or to apply check out the Virgin Australia job post.
Source: Virgin Australia
Photo Credit: Virgin Australia
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