United States – Costanzo Air, a Part 61 school serving New York and New Jersey, has announced a new partnership with Kore Aviation to provide high-quality, affordable headsets for students and pilots training at the flight school. The KA-1 model is praised for clear audio, noise reduction, and pilot comfort.
Source: Costanzo Air
Oregon, USA – Hillsboro Aero Academy launched a new 12-month Aviation Maintenance Professional Program—an accelerated, hands-on pathway for students seeking careers as FAA-certified aircraft mechanics.
Set to begin September 8, 2025, at the academy’s Hillsboro campus in Oregon, the program is designed to be completed in half the time of most comparable offerings. Graduates will be prepared for the FAA’s General, Airframe, and Powerplant certification exams and enter the workforce as qualified aviation maintenance technicians.
The launch has earned praise from former airline senior executive, Gary Beck, as a timely response to one of the industry’s most urgent workforce challenges.
“Hillsboro Aero Academy has long demonstrated its commitment to developing the next generation of pilots,” said Beck. “Their expansion into maintenance training comes at a critical time. The entire airline industry is feeling the impact of the aircraft mechanic shortage, and efforts like this are essential to building a strong, sustainable talent pipeline.”
For Hillsboro Aero Academy, the program marks a major milestone in a broader transformation of its training portfolio.
“For nearly 50 years, we’ve trained pilots to the highest standards in the industry,” said Natalia Cimpean, President of Hillsboro Aero Academy. “Now we’re applying that same approach to aviation maintenance—combining real-world experience, technical excellence, and safety-first instruction to meet one of the most urgent workforce needs in aviation today.”
Students will train in an active airport environment using actual aircraft, including the Learjet 24, Cessna 152, and Piper PA-44 airplanes, and a Robinson R22 helicopter. Brand-new tools and on-site FAA testing further enhance the hands-on learning experience.
Tuition for the 12-month course is $29,500 and includes tools, uniforms, testing, and materials. Class sizes are limited to 25 students, to ensure individualized instruction. Payment-by-course options are available.
The launch follows recent modernization efforts at the school, including the order of 10 state-of-the-art Piper aircraft—five Archer TX and five Pilot 100i models—featuring advanced Garmin avionics. These investments reflect a long-term strategy to expand high-quality, career-focused training across both fixed-wing and rotorcraft disciplines.
As one of the largest flight training academies in the United States, and the exclusive training provider for Alaska Airlines’ Ascend Academy, the school has earned international recognition for preparing pilots for commercial aviation careers. The addition of an aircraft maintenance program represents a full-spectrum commitment to solving aviation’s workforce pipeline challenges.
Located in the Pacific Northwest, a region with a thriving aerospace ecosystem including Alaska Airlines, Boeing, Precision Castparts, and a wide network of MROs and charter operators, the academy places graduates in immediate proximity to one of the most opportunity-rich job markets for aviation technicians in the country.
According to Boeing’s 2024–2043 Pilot and Technician Outlook, more than 716,000 new maintenance technicians will be needed worldwide over the next two decades. In the U.S., nearly 40 percent of current aircraft mechanics are expected to retire by 2031.
“This is one of the most direct and impactful ways to start a career in aviation,” said Cimpean. “We’re creating a program that gets students job-ready in a year—with the technical skills, certifications, and confidence to thrive in a fast-moving, high-stakes field.”
Source: Hillsboro Aero Academy
Photo Credit: Hillsboro Aero Academy
Canada – Western University aviation students will be equipped with specialized skills and earn advanced pilot licences through a new flight training school that’s partnering with the university and London International Airport.
MFC Training is a Canadian company, nearly 100 years old, that has trained more than 30,000 pilots. Starting this fall, incoming students in Western’s Commercial Aviation Management program – and those beginning their flight training in the second year of the program – will be on the pathway to earn industry-standard Integrated Airline Transport Pilot licences (iATPL).
“Through our partnership with MFC Training, our students will have access to advanced licensing opportunities as part of their aviation education,” said Jacqueline Book, director of Western’s Commercial Aviation Management (CAM) program and a former Royal Canadian Air Force tactical transport pilot and airline pilot.
“This new partnership strengthens Western’s mission to provide nationally competitive, industry-aligned aviation education and prepare the next generation of aviation leaders.” – Jacqueline Book, director of Western’s Commercial Aviation Management program
MFC Training will provide specialized education, including complex cockpit environments and advanced simulator training. Its Transport Canada-certified curriculum includes more than 500 hours of ground school and 250 hours of flight and simulator training.
Western’s CAM program, part of the bachelor of management and organization studies in the Faculty of Social Science, includes a year of business studies followed by flight training – for those who wish to pursue it – in years two, three and four. CAM, which marked its 25th anniversary last year, is one of the only university programs in Canada in which graduates can earn a business degree and their pilot’s licence.
“Western’s CAM program welcomes about 80 new pilot candidates each year, and many of our alumni are now in aviation leadership roles around the world. Graduating with the iATPL will position our students to fill the pressing, global need for pilots and other airline or aviation industry positions,” said Nicholas Harney, dean of the Faculty of Social Science.
Leader in flight training
Its new home at the London International Airport marks the first Ontario location for MFC Training.
“Since 1929, MFC Training has been a leader in flight training across Canada,” said Scott McFadzean, BACS’03, CEO of London International Airport. Like Book, McFadzean graduated from the inaugural aviation class at Western, part of what was then the bachelor of administrative and commercial studies (BACS) program.
“We are excited that MFC’s first Ontario location will be here at YXU. This is an excellent fit for our growing aerospace hub,” he added.
The London, Ont. location joins MFC Training facilities in New Brunswick, Manitoba and Nunavut. The company is owned by the PAL Group, including PAL Aerospace and PAL Airlines, one of the largest independent airlines in Eastern Canada and Quebec.
“MFC Training is thrilled to partner with Western to train the next generation of aviation leaders,” said Calvin Ash, president of PAL Airlines, PAL Aerospace and MFC Training.
“Between Western’s world-class academic programing and MFC Training’s industry-leading flight instruction, our combined offering will produce graduates with a powerful combination of aviation skill and top-notch educational background, ready to carry our industry forward for the next generation.”
Source: Western University
Global – CAE has closed out fiscal year 2025 with a celebratory video and major global achievements underscoring its position as a world leader in simulation, training, and mission support technologies – check out the video here.
The milestones reflect CAE’s expansive reach across civil aviation, defense, and security sectors reinforcing its mission to build a safer world through innovation and collaboration under the #OneCAE vision.
Source: CAE
Global – In May 2025, 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
USA – Aviatize has officially launched Aviatize Connect, its second-generation mobile app, designed to streamline flight school and flying club operations by centralizing tasks like bookings, instructor availability, payments, and reporting into a single mobile platform.
Aviatize Connect is now available on iOS and Android platforms
The app allows users to book flights, assign duties, and select training flight types
Features include aircraft and instructor availability checking, digital check-in/out, and squawk reporting
Users can securely pay for flights directly within the app
The platform eliminates paperwork and delays, offering an all-in-one digital solution for aviation scheduling and management
Source:
Photo Credit:
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
