Market Intelligence: -Flight School

Flight Training Financing Provider Stratus Financial Reaches 300 Flight School Partnerships Across the U.S.

USA– Stratus Financial, a leading financial services firm specializing in student pilot flight school financing, is excited to announce it has reached a major milestone: the signing of its 300th flight school partnership nationwide. This achievement underscores the company’s rapid growth and its commitment to providing comprehensive financing solutions for student pilots. Stratus Financial’s growing network now spans across 35 states and Puerto Rico, making it the most expansive flight school financing platform in the industry.

As the demand for trained pilots continues to grow, Stratus Financial is playing a crucial role in addressing the industry’s workforce needs. By collaborating with flight schools across the nation, Stratus ensures that aspiring pilots have access to the funding they need to complete their training and enter the workforce. This expansion is critical to ensuring the aviation industry has a steady pipeline of qualified pilots to meet current and future needs.

“The 300th partnership represents not just a milestone, but a reaffirmation of Stratus Financial’s mission to support the future of aviation,” said Gustavo Sanchez-Sorondo, Head of Sales and School Partnerships at Stratus Financial. “We are proud to work with such a diverse range of flight schools, helping to make aviation training more accessible to students across the country. This expanded network allows us to provide even more tailored financial solutions, ensuring that our partner schools and their students have the resources they need to succeed.”

Stratus Financial’s Student Pilot Loan Programs are specifically designed for flight schools, including both Part 61 and Part 141 institutions. The firm’s customized financial solutions aim to address the unique needs of student pilots, offering flexible repayment plans and competitive terms that make financing more manageable. This expansion is a testament to Stratus Financial’s ability to cater to the increasing demand for trained pilots while supporting flight schools in their mission to provide top-quality education.

“Reaching 300 flight school partners is a significant achievement for Stratus Financial, and it highlights the trust that schools across the nation place in our services,” said Brandon Martini, COO and Co-Founder of Stratus Financial. “This growth enables us to further our impact in the flight training industry, as we continue to offer student pilots the financial tools necessary to pursue their aviation careers. We are deeply committed to helping our partner schools cultivate the next generation of pilots and to supporting students on their journey to success.”

The company remains focused on empowering students with accessible and innovative financing options, helping to break down financial barriers and ensure that the dream of becoming a pilot is within reach for more individuals.

About Stratus Financial
Stratus Financial is a premier consumer finance firm committed to providing innovative, flexible financial solutions. With a strong focus on strategic growth, risk management, and customer-centricity, Stratus Financial is poised to lead the industry in providing cutting-edge lending solutions across a broad spectrum of consumer products. The company is dedicated to empowering consumers with accessible financing options, driving success for its stakeholders, and setting new standards of excellence in the fintech space.

Source: Stratus Financial

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Atlantic Flight Training Academy Welcomes First Integrated Class of 2025 of Over 18 Cadets

Ireland – Atlantic Flight Training Academy (AFTA), a leading European flight training organisation, has welcomed its first Integrated Class of 2025. The class includes cadets enrolled in the Ab-Initio Ryanair Future Flyer Academy, ASL Airlines, and VistaJet mentored pilot training programmes. Over the next 18 months, the cadets will undergo comprehensive training at AFTA to qualify as commercial pilots.

Source: Atlantic Flight Training Academy
Photo Credit: Atlantic Flight Training Academy

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HADID and Intercontinental Aviation Enterprise Launch Intercontinental Aviation Academy GCC at Ras Al Khaimah Airport

United Arab Emirates – HADID International Services and Intercontinental Aviation Enterprise (IAE) have partnered to launch the flight training academy Intercontinental Aviation Academy GCC (IAA GCC) at Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, United Arab Emirates in 2025. Announced during the Arab Aviation Summit 2025 in Saudi Arabia, the academy aims to elevate aviation training standards across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

Source: Intercontinental Aviation Academy
Photo Credit: Intercontinental Aviation Academy

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Global Flight Training Group Airways Aviation Expands Diamond Aircraft and Austro Engine Service Capabilities through New Global Agreement

Global – Airways Aviation Group, the largest owner-operator of Diamond Aircraft in Europe and the second highest Diamond Aircraft flight-hour operator globally throughout 2024, has announced the signing of a new Service Partner Agreement with Diamond Aircraft.

The agreement, finalized during the Pilot Expo 2025, appoints both Airways Aviation Italy (Professione Volare) and Airways Aviation Australia as Diamond Aircraft and Austro Engine Gold Service Centres. This milestone follows the appointment of Airways Aviation ESMA (France) maintenance and engineering services as a Gold Diamond Service Centre in December 2024.

Under this new arrangement, Airways Aviation Group solidifies its ongoing commitment to enhancing service quality and extending its reach within the general aviation market worldwide. With an already impressive footprint in flight training and maintenance, Airways Aviation’s newly expanded authorization streamlines its capability to maintain and service a wider range of Diamond Aircraft, further benefiting both Airways Aviation’s own substantial fleet and external customers seeking comprehensive support and expertise.

“This agreement marks another significant step in our strategic collaboration with Diamond Aircraft,” said Romy Hawatt, Founder and Chairman of Airways Aviation Group. “Our relationship has grown year after year, underpinned by our shared dedication to quality, safety and innovation. By strengthening our maintenance and engineering capabilities in Europe and Australia, we can continue to deliver the highest standards of service to our global customer base, whether that is training the next generation of pilots or supporting third-party aircraft owners.”

Diamond Aircraft, globally renowned for its advanced composites, robust safety features and leading aerodynamics, has cultivated a reputation for excellence that aligns closely with Airways Aviation’s emphasis on technological advancement and high standards of aircraft maintenance. “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Airways Aviation and recognise their achievements as Europe’s largest owner-operator of Diamond Aircraft,” commented Luca Giaquinta, Global Director of Aftersales at Diamond Aircraft Group. “Airways Aviation’s extensive operational experience, high standards and first-class facilities underscored by the second highest number of Diamond flight hours recorded globally in 2024, makes them an ideal service partner to uphold Diamond’s unwavering commitment to quality, safety and reliability.”

About Airways Aviation Group
Airways Aviation Group is a global leader in aviation education, offering EASA, CASA, and ICAO-certified pilot training across multiple international locations. With over 45 years of industry experience, the Group has trained thousands of pilots and aviation professionals worldwide.

Currently operating in 11 countries of 4 continents, Airways Aviation operates a fleet of over 100 aircraft with a vast percentage of them being Diamond Aircraft. Headquartered in Dubai, it bolts large training capacity through its academies in Australia, France, Finland, Italy, Portugal, Cabo Verde, Morocco, UAE and India and satellites in Germany and Spain.

Airways Aviation Group also holds specialized divisions for Defence & Security training and Maintenance and Engineering services.

About Diamond Aircraft
Diamond Aircraft, headquartered in Austria with facilities in Canada and China, is amongst the leading aircraft manufacturer in General Aviation. Founded in 1981, Diamond has pioneered many aviation firsts and achieved numerous milestones and industry expert accolades. Over 5,500 Diamond airplanes are flown by private pilots, professional flight training operators and institutions worldwide.

Source: Airways Aviation Group
Photo Credit: Airways Aviation Group

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Polish Flight School, Smart Aviation, Places Order for 5 New Aircraft During Pilot Expo 2025

Poland – Training aircraft manufacturer Tecnam and Smart Aviation announced during Pilot Expo 2025 the purchase agreement for five (5) additional Tecnam P2008JC single engine two-seater aircraft. These new aircraft will be used for ab-initio training.

Based in Poznan, Poland, Smart Aviation ATO has been training aspiring pilots of more than 50 nationalities for over a decade to start their careers with the world’s major airlines, and is growing at a very fast pace to help major airlines recruit new pilots. ATO also has its own maintenance base at Zielona Gora International Airport and its own helicopter base at Poznan Kobylnica Airport.

Smart Aviation has been working with Tecnam since 2013, when it purchased its first Tecnam P2002JF. Two years later, the first twin-engine P2006T was purchased to provide students with comprehensive training from 0 to ATPL frozen. Today, the Smart Aviation fleet consists of 14 Tecnam aircraft plus the new eight aircraft of this new order.

Smart Aviation’s Tecnam fleet consists of seven (7) Tecnam P2008-JC, four (4) Tecnam P2006T, one (1) Tecnam P2002-JF, one (1) Tecnam P2002-JR and one (1) Tecnam P-Mentor.

These five new P2008JCs will be delivered during 2025, together with the three P2006T NGs announced during the MEAC in Abu Dhabi. This new acquisition will innovate Smart Aviation’s fleet, standardise the fleet and increase ATO capacity. This new and significant investment is part of Smart Aviation’s commitment to ensure that future commercial pilots are trained on state-of-the-art aircraft such as the wide range of Tecnam models.

Mateusz Dzialynski, CEO and Head of Training at Smart Aviation, airline pilot on B737, said: “Investment in new aircraft is necessary to provide students with the highest quality training and to meet the needs of the aviation market. The demand for pilots continues to grow, so it’s a huge responsibility to provide well-trained professionals who meet the highest standards.”

“We are very proud to have seen Smart Aviation grow steadily and strongly over this decade. Our fleet solution confirms that it is a market leading offering that provides reliability, cost control, smart training and low emissions.” Said Walter Da Costa, Tecnam’s Chief Sales Officer.

About Smart Aviation
ATO Smart Aviation from Poznan was established in 2013 and is now one of the largest flight schools in Poland. Smart Aviation is an EASA-approved training organisation offering modular training for pilots from zero to ATPL. Our graduates are employed by leading airlines such as Ryanair, Wizz Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Enter Air, Air Malta, SunExpress, Pegasus Airlines and other renowned airlines worldwide. The school records over 10,000 flight hours per year.

About TECNAM; “Quality Aircraft since 1948”
Tecnam is an Italian aircraft manufacturer and one of the world’s leading piston aircraft manufacturers. Founded in 1948 by brothers Luigi and Giovanni Pascale, the company is headquartered in Capua, Italy, and operates two subsidiaries in Sebring, Florida, USA, and Brisbane, Australia, to serve and support the needs of local Tecnam owners and operators. Tecnam designs and manufactures a wide range of aircraft for personal use, commercial operations, business travel, flight training, surveillance, law enforcement and other specialised applications.

Source: Tecnam
Photo Credit: Tecnam

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