Singapore & Greece – One of Greece’s largest flight training organisations Egnatia Aviation has confirmed its participation at Asia Pacific Aviation Training Summit (APATS) 2025, scheduled for 26–27 August at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Egnatia Aviation’s CEO George Zografakis and CCO George Triantafyllidis will both deliver keynote addresses on the future of airline training.
Source: Egnatia Aviation
Austria – CAE, the flight simulation and training industry leader, has begun early operations at its new business aviation training center in Schwechat, near Vienna International Airport. The center, named CAE Vienna, is CAE’s first dedicated business aviation training facility in Central Europe and is set for its official opening on September 4, 2025.
CAE Vienna welcomed its first client, Austrian-headquartered business aviation operator Avcon Jet, in April 2025—marking the informal commencement of operations.
The 8,000 m² training center is Austria’s largest business aviation training hub and is developed by local real estate firm Propel Industrial.
The site will house up to nine full-flight simulators (FFS), including:
Europe’s first Bombardier Global 7500 simulator
Bombardier Global Vision and Challenger 3500 simulators
Embraer Phenom 100/300 FFS (expected October 2025)
A Pilatus PC-24 FFS, to be introduced in the second half of 2026
Source: Local Media Reporting
Switzerland – Smartflyer has been awarded the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label for its hybrid-electric trainer, the SF-1.
This internationally recognized label is granted by the Solar Impulse Foundation, founded by explorer and clean tech pioneer Bertrand Piccard, who famously completed the first solar-powered flight around the world. The foundation aims to identify and promote solutions that combine positive environmental impact with economic feasibility — a rare but essential combination for scalable sustainability.
The Smartflyer SF-1 meets this standard by offering a new generation of training aircraft that drastically reduces fuel consumption, noise, CO₂ emissions and even maintenance costs, while maintaining performance and operability under EASA CS-23 regulations.
This recognition reinforces the SF-1’s potential to reshape the future of general aviation and pilot training, aligning technical innovation with climate responsibility.
Curious to learn more about Smartflyer – check out the interview it did with AFM here.
Source: Smartflyer
Spain & United Kingdom – FTEJerez, the Spain-headquartered flight training organisation, will open a new base at London Oxford Airport in late summer 2025. This marks its first physical presence in the UK in more than three decades.
FTEJerez signed contracts to operate from London Oxford Airport, where construction of bespoke facilities tailored to its operations has been approved.
The academy will initially deploy two Diamond DA42 twin-engine trainers to provide training aligned with UK CAA licensing requirements.
The new base will allow FTEJerez to offer both UK CAA and dual UK/EASA licence pathways, enhancing support for British Airways and Jet2 cadets as well as self-sponsored students.
Scalability has been built into the site’s planning, enabling potential expansion in response to growing demand.
The move represents a return to the UK for FTEJerez, which originally began as BAE Systems Flying College in Prestwick in 1988 before relocating to Spain in the 1990s.
Statements
Source: FTEJerez
Switzerland – Helvetic Airways has joined forces with FMS training solutions provider Heading365 to enhance its pilot training programs. Helvetic Airways will implement Heading365’s fully customised E-Jet FMS Trainer PRO, tailored to align with its Embraer fleet and operational procedures. The solution is designed to reduce reliance on full-flight simulator time by enabling more targeted and efficient preparation.
Source: Heading365
Photo Credit: Helvetic Airways
Gloucestershire, United Kingdom – Global pilot training group Skyborne which operates flight training bases across the United Kingdom and the United States, has announced that 29 of its trainees and graduates secured positions with easyJet in July 2025. This milestone means that nearly 40% of Skyborne’s graduates have now launched their airline careers with the UK-based low-cost carrier.
Source: Skyborne
Norway – Pilot Flight Academy has welcomed its newest intake of cadets, designated Class 25T8, to its Sandefjord campus.
Just last month Pilot Flight Academy had highlighted that it is offering a sponsored flight instructor course as well as international deployment opportunities with five (5) of its flight instructors deployed to its partner flight training base at Professional Aviation in Italy.
About Pilot Flight Academy
Pilot Flight Academy, based at Sandefjord Airport, Norway, is one of Europe’s largest independent flight schools. The academy operates a modern fleet of Diamond DA40 and DA42 aircraft, alongside advanced simulator facilities, and provides integrated ATPL training for students aiming for careers with commercial airlines.
Source: Pilot Flight Academy
Photo Credit: Pilot Flight Academy
Czech Republic – F AIR, one of Central Europe’s largest flight training providers, has expanded its fleet with the delivery of a new Tecnam P2010 aircraft from the manufacturer’s delivery center in Capua, Italy.
About F AIR
F AIR, based in Benešov, Czech Republic, is one of Central Europe’s largest flight training organizations, partnering with airlines such as Smartwings and VietJet. It delivers EASA-compliant cadet programs from ab initio to commercial readiness, with training centers in the Czech Republic and beyond. The school has expanded its global reach with trainees from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, while continuously upgrading its fleet with modern aircraft and simulators.
Source: F AIR, Tecnam
