Market Intelligence: Europe

Global Flight Training Group Airways Aviation’s ESMA Quickly Resumed Flights and Redeploys Aircraft Following Arson Attack

Montpellier, France – Airways Aviation, one of the largest aviation and pilot training group’s in the world operating pilot training academies across Europe, the Middle East, Asia/Australia, India and Africa, has shared that its flight training base in France – Airways Aviation ESMA has resumed flight operations within just two days following a recent criminal act that caused damage to part of its fleet.

The group has also shared that is has redeployed aircraft including a DA42 twin-engine aircraft from other bases such as its operation in Italy.

Special thanks were extended to Diamond Aircraft for their swift support and to the maintenance team for their professionalism and dedication.

Source: Airways Aviation
Photo Credit: Airways Aviation

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ALSIM Completes Factory Acceptance Test for USA’s Paragon Flight Training’s AL100i Simulators

France & USA – flight simulator manufacturer ALSIM has successfully conducted the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) for two brand-new AL100i flight simulators ordered by Paragon Flight Training in 2024. Paragon Flight Training is a flight training organisation based in Florida, USA. The FAT took place at ALSIM’s manufacturing facility in Nantes, ensuring that both simulators met stringent performance and quality benchmarks ahead of delivery.

The AL100i is the exact replica of the P100i, the successful trainer aircraft manufactured by Piper. The simulator will be designed to FTD 5 standard, offering a full-size cockpit replica, a semi-enclosed instructor station, an active electrical control loading, and a specific flight model based on aircraft flight characteristics. The AL100i will feature the immersive 3 projectors visual system for an unequaled 210×55° field of view. On top of this, the simulator will be equipped with the original G3X and GNX375 manufactured by Garmin, ensuring the same level of performance, features, and reliability as the aircraft, a world first for these avionics.

Source: ALSIM
Photo Credit: ALSIM

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France-based Flight School Astonfly Appoints Saïd Hadid as Chief Executive Officer

Toussus-le-Noble, France – Astonfly, one of France’s leading flight training academies, has appointed Saïd Hadid as its new Chief Executive Officer, marking a strategic move to strengthen leadership and expand the school’s influence across the European pilot training sector.

  • Saïd Hadid brings a comprehensive aviation background, having started flying at age 14 and later serving as a professional pilot, instructor, and Flight Director across several advanced flight domains.

  • His instructional expertise includes aerobatics, mountain flying, glacier operations, and Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT), with a strong emphasis on safety and operational excellence.

  • He also led the French Advanced Aerobatics Team as Team Manager from 2019 to 2023, reinforcing his credentials in high-performance training and leadership.

  • As CEO, Hadid aims to enhance theoretical instruction, in-flight training standards, and student support, with a goal to position Astonfly as a top-tier European benchmark for quality, safety, and supervision in ab initio flight training. “His vision is to establish Astonfly as a European reference not only for training volume but for pilot selection, performance, safety, and supervision.” shared Astonfly

The entire Astonfly team welcomes this appointment, which fully aligns with the school’s growth and excellence strategy developed over recent years. With over 2,000 students trained and an exclusive partnership with Ryanair.

Source: Astonfly
Photo Credit: Astonfly

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Varjo Enables First EASA-Qualified Mixed Reality Flight Simulator Developed by BRUNNER

Helsinki, Finland / Opfikon, Switzerland – Varjo, the global leader in professional-grade mixed reality, announced that its technology powers the first-ever mixed reality Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD) qualified to European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards, marking a major milestone in the advancement and adoption of XR for civil aviation training.

Developed by Swiss simulation manufacturer BRUNNER Elektronik AG, the NOVASIM MR DA42 simulator is a Flight and Navigation Procedures Trainer II (FNPT II) being deployed by Lufthansa Aviation Training. It replicates the Diamond DA42 aircraft, one of the most widely used models in civil aviation. At the heart of the simulator is the Varjo XR-4 Focal Edition headset, delivering a photorealistic mixed reality cockpit experience that blends real and virtual elements with human-eye resolution. The level of immersion and visual precision of the headset was critical in meeting the rigorous standards required for the EASA qualification under special conditions.

The certification marks a historic milestone: the first time mixed reality-based training is formally recognized for civilian flight hours in Europe, establishing a precedent for immersive technology adoption within civil aviation training environments.

“We are proud to lead the way in redefining aviation training by achieving the first-ever EASA qualification for a mixed reality simulator,” said Roger Klingler, CEO of BRUNNER Elektronik AG. “With the NOVASIM MR DA42, we’ve combined precision Swiss engineering with breakthrough XR technology to deliver a simulator that meets demanding regulatory standards while providing unmatched realism and flexibility in pilot training. This accomplishment is the result of close collaboration with Varjo, combining our expertise in simulation hardware and software integration with the cutting-edge visual fidelity of the Varjo XR-4 Focal Edition.“

“This is a milestone not only for Varjo and Brunner, but for the future of pilot training in civil aviation,” said Tristan Cotter, Global Head of Defense & Aerospace at Varjo. “With this certification, mixed reality is no longer a forward-looking concept, it’s a verified, scalable, and cost-effective solution ready to meet the operational demands of the industry today.”

“We have supported this pioneering project from the very beginning with conviction – contributing our expertise to the qualification process and the technical advancement of the mixed reality simulator,” said Manuel Meier, CEO at Lufthansa Aviation Training.

“As a leading provider of crew training in Europe, we consistently drive innovation in cabin and cockpit training, and this milestone supports that mission.”

With dynamic scene rendering and real-time response to pilot inputs while being able to use their typical physical controls, this Varjo-powered system delivers a significantly more immersive and effective training experience than traditional civil FNPT II simulators. Integrated eye tracking allows instructors to see exactly where trainees are looking during critical scenarios, providing insights into missed cues and decision-making that traditional systems can’t capture. By combining richer performance data with heightened realism, the simulator not only enhances training outcomes but also sets a new standard for the industry.

Amid growing pressure to modernize training and address the global pilot shortage, this milestone is expected to accelerate XR adoption and set the stage for further regulatory approvals.

About Varjo
Varjo is the world-leading provider of enterprise virtual and mixed reality solutions, delivering the highest levels of immersion, performance, and security for the most demanding industrial customers globally. Used by over 25% of the Fortune 100 to transform how they operate, we are known for virtual and mixed reality that look and feel as real as the real world, allowing training astronauts and fighter jet pilots, designing cars, and conducting pioneering medical research across virtual environments. Our hardware and software solutions integrate with the world’s largest ecosystem of professional 3D software, image generators, and advanced simulator hardware. With Varjo’s offering, including the latest XR-4 Series and the government-compliant XR-4 Secure Edition, professionals can recreate the exact feeling and conditions of real life in 3D, allowing them to work faster, better and more cost effectively.

Source: Varjo
Photo Credit: Varjo

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Professional Aviation Highlights Helicopter Training Division Seeking International Collaboration

Italy – Professional Aviation, one of Italy’s largest pilot training organizations, is proud to announce the expansion of its international collaboration initiatives with the opening of its helicopter training division to global partners.

Following the successful launch of its helicopter academy in 2024, Professional Aviation now offers up to 1,000 hours of helicopter flight training per year, fully integrated into its EASA-approved training framework. The academy is actively seeking partnerships with international flight schools, aviation academies, and training providers that may be looking to enhance their training offer, support student overflow, or outsource part of their rotary-wing programs to a reliable and experienced European provider.

This new opportunity complements the academy’s well-established fixed-wing training division, which delivered over 16,000 flight hours in 2024 alone, positioning Professional Aviation as one of the most active ATOs in Italy.

Based in Ozzano Emilia, just minutes from Bologna, the helicopter training center features modern classrooms, certified instructors, and a fleet of well-maintained aircraft suitable for a wide range of training needs — from initial ab initio training to advanced modules.

With a track record of successful collaboration with global partners such as Pilot Flight Academy (Norway) and Air Arabia Academy (UAE), Professional Aviation is uniquely positioned to provide international students with high-quality instruction in a well-structured, english-speaking environment.

Whether you are an established flight school looking to expand your helicopter capacity, or an academy seeking a trusted EASA-certified training partner in Europe, Professional Aviation is open to discussing tailored cooperation models — from short-term arrangements to structured long-term agreements.

Source: Professional Aviation
Photo Credit: Professional Aviation

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Italian Flight School Professional Aviation Offers Sponsored CRI and IRI Training for Certified FIs in 2025

Italy – Professional Aviation, one of the country’s largest pilot training organisations, is inviting motivated, EASA-certified Flight Instructors (FI) to elevate their careers by progressing to CRI (Class Rating Instructor) or IRI (Instrument Rating Instructor) qualifications—fully sponsored by the academy.

This opportunity is part of Professional Aviation’s commitment to internal progression and professional development within one of Italy’s most active and forward-looking flight training environments.

  • 100% sponsored training for eligible instructors pursuing CRI(A) or IRI(A)

  • Work and train alongside a full-time, experienced instructor team

  • Career development within a structured progression path

Entry Requirements

CRI (A)

  • 500 hours total flight time

  • Minimum 30 hours as PIC on multi-engine aircraft

IRI (A)

  • 200 hours total IFR time

  • Up to 50 hours may be conducted in a simulator

Source: Professional Aviation
Photo Credit: Professional Aviation

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14 International Cadets Join Egnatia’s Flagship Integrated Program in May 2025

Kavala, Greece – Egnatia Aviation proudly welcomes Batch 093, a new group of 14 cadets representing seven countries:

  • Greece
  • North Macedonia
  • Iraq
  • Oman
  • India
  • Jordan

This diverse intake began their journey in the Airline Integrated Program this May 2025.

Source: Egnatia Aviation
Photo Credit: Egnatia Aviation

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