Market Intelligence: -Flight School

Turkish Airlines Flight Academy Grows Fleet to 55 Aircraft

Türkiye – Turkish Airlines Flight Academy (TAFA), the abinitio pilot training academy of Turkish Airlines, has expanded its fleet once again with the addition of three new Diamond Aircraft – growing its fleet to 55.

  • Turkish Airlines Flight Academy added 2 Diamond DA40 and 1 Diamond DA42 aircraft to its fleet.
  • Earlier in the month TAFA marked a milestone by graduating its 123rd and 124th cohorts on the same day, a first in the academy’s history. A total of 50 pilot candidates have completed their core training and were officially sent off for Type Rating as part of their transition into Turkish Airlines’ operational fleet.
  • The academy currently operates a fleet of 50 aircraft and plans to expand to 107 aircraft by Q1 2027, with 47 new aircraft expected by the end of 2025.
  • Over the past five years, TAFA has graduated more than 900 pilots and recorded 220,000 flight hours as of December 2024.

Source: Turkish Airlines Flight Academy
Photo Credit: Turkish Airlines Flight Academy

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Turkish Flight Training Group AYJET Welcomes Aviation Management Students in May 2025

Türkiye – One of Turkey’s largest pilot training organisations AYJET Flight School, has hosted first-year students from İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi’s Aviation Management Department for an immersive introductory visit at Hezarfen Airport.

The visit was organized to familiarize students with the professional world of aviation. AYJET instructors and staff offered detailed briefings on pilot training pathways, flight operations, and aviation career opportunities. Attendees were also taken on guided tours of the school’s training facilities and hangars, giving them a hands-on introduction to the pilot training environment.

Last year AYJET Flight School has shared that it has been awarded Best Flight School 2024 by the Jury of the Bluesky Awards. More than 1,796 pilots have graduated since 2005 with over 1,687 of them were subsequently employed in airlines.

In June 2024 AYJET Flight School had shared its fleet expansion plan – growing its training infrastructure to 45 aircraft in 2024. The fleet consisting of 22 DA-20(SEP), 11 Sonaca S201(SEP), 5 DA-42(MEP), and 2 Zlin Z242L(SEP) Acrobatic aircraft with another 5 aircraft joining the fleet in 2025 including 4 DA-20 and 1 DA-42. In November 2023 AYJET Flight School also signed an order for one Diamond Aircraft DA42 FNPT II flight simulator.

Source: AYJET
Photo Credit: AYJET

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Emirates Flight Training Academy Grows Fleet with 2 Aerobatic Aircraft

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Two recently delivered Gamebird GB1 aircraft, performing loops above Emirates Flight Training Academy’s (EFTA) skies, have further diversified and expanded the academy’s fleet, setting new standards of training excellence.

With 30 Cirrus, Phenom and Diamond aircraft in its fleet, EFTA is now training cadets on four distinct aircraft types – a rarity in aviation training – before they graduate from the academy.

The new Gamebirds are the academy’s first aerobatic aircraft specially designed for upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT)*. They provide exceptional control and responsiveness, meeting the rigorous demands of cadet training and high performance flying.

Cadet pilots can now confidently complete 5 hours of UPRT and manage training scenarios with versatility and the aircraft’s cutting-edge technology.

Captain Abdulla Al Hammadi, Divisional Vice President, EFTA said: “We have remained steadfast and true to our vision – to be at the forefront of aviation training as it’s pivotal in shaping Emirates’ and the industry’s future. We’ve adopted a game-changing approach with our training: equip our cadets with the latest tools and technology, recalibrate regularly to prepare for future challenges, and ensure there are zero gaps. We are committed to ensuring our cadets are fully prepared and can contribute in their aviation careers from day one. The Gamebird has elevated our curriculum and will ensure our graduates are equipped with the skills and confidence to excel.”

Engineered to maximise operational efficiency, the Gamebird offers an impressive endurance of up to 7 hours and 30 minutes, with 1.5 hours aerobatic manoeuvring and high performance capabilities.

EFTA recently graduated 85 cadets and its current cohort of over 330 come from 26 diverse nationalities.

*Upset Prevention and Recovery Training: a combination of theoretical and practical training given to aircraft pilots to prevent, recognise and recover from unusual and unexpected situations.

About Emirates Flight Training Academy
Located in DWC, EFTA was launched by Emirates in 2017, initially to train UAE nationals, and later international students. The Academy combines cutting-edge learning technologies and a modern fleet of 32 training aircraft to train cadets with no previous knowledge of flying. EFTA’s fleet has 32 aircraft: 20 x Cirrus SR22 G6 single-engine piston, 5 x Diamond DA42NG multi-engine piston, 2 x Gamebird GB1 and 5 x Embraer Phenom 100EV very light jets. EFTA’s state-of-the-art facility, which is equal to 200 football fields, boasts 36 modern classrooms, six 6-axis full-motion flight simulators, an independent Air Traffic Control Tower, and a dedicated 1,800m runway with its own Instrument Landing System. The Academy has graduated 273 students since 2020 with a significant majority now flying as First Officers with Emirates.

Source: Emirates Flight Training Academy
Photo Credit: Emirates Flight Training Academy

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